Cindy Lou Who and the Once-ler Too
by mircosedy
Summary: While passing through Whoville in his search for the perfect place to make his thneeds, Once-ler meets someone who will change his life. Follows the Lorax movie. Features a grown up Cindy Lou Who from Dr. Seuss's How the Grinch Stole Christmas.
1. Whoville

**Why hello there! First of all I would like to apologize for being so late for the Once-ler train! But I'm jumping on now!**

**Welcome to the first chapter of many! I thoroughly hope you enjoy reading it as much as I enjoy writing it.**

**Before the actual chapter, I'll always list the music I listened to while writing the chapter. If you want, you can check it out and listen along while reading. :)**

**I'm so excited to share this story with you! Now without further ado, I present to you...**

**Chapter One. **

* * *

_Music: "Forbidden Friendship" from How To Train Your Dragon; "Snow" by Classical Study of Music; "Snowflakes" by White Apple Tree._

**Chapter One**

**Whoville**

"_It all started a long time ago."_

"_Can we start not so long ago, maybe?"_

"_Do you want a tree?"_

"_Yes. Yes."_

"_Then it all started a long… _long _time ago..."_

-Ted and the Once-ler, _The Lorax_

The place was monstrous.

Cindy stood at the top of the steps, gazing up at the intimidating door glittering with gold around the edges. Still, it seemed miniscule when compared to the rest of the factory, which seemed to be made up of buildings sprawling over the landscape and on top of each other in an effort to reach the bright blue sky.

The faint smell of butterfly's milk drifting from the few truffula trees standing around the factory was tainted with the scent of machinery. The grating sounds of his factory only grated on her nerves.

Swallowing in an attempt to moisten her dry throat, Cindy reached forward to push the intercom button. She hesitated, then dropped her hand. She grit her teeth. Why was this so hard for her?

Biting her bottom lip, she clutched her purple folder tight to her chest.

Would he remember who she was? Would she be able to leave in one piece if he didn't?

Taking deep breaths, Cindy stalled. She wasn't ready for this.

She wasn't ready to meet the Once-ler. Four years might have been enough to change him beyond recognition.

She didn't want to face anyone who was different from her Once-ler. The boy from her memories.

The boy in the forest.

* * *

For a day that soon became so important to her, it started out like any other.

Gray clouds overhead promised more frozen moisture and the evergreen trees cast long shadows over the snow riddled with the tracks of forest animals. Cindy herself carefully picked her way through the trees, trying not to disturb the creatures that were undoubtedly watching her with wary eyes.

Whoville was far below, the houses and buildings looking as cheery and bright as always. Even from where Cindy stood, she could hear the distant chimes of the bells tinkling a little tune when it struck the hour.

Her burnt orange sketchbook was tucked protectively under one arm. She had been lucky enough to capture a doe and her fawn on paper before they ran off. Hiking up the mountain and drawing forest creatures was one of Cindy's favorite things to do. She could be alone with her thoughts and her sketches, and simply enjoy nature.

Cindy ceased her delicate steps. There was something different in the air- she could smell smoke. And if she listened carefully, she could hear a voice warbling between the trees. Normally she was the only one who ventured this far up the mountain. Curious, she began to follow the scent of burning wood.

He was sitting on a silver bucket beside a covered wagon, bent round a guitar, a gray fedora slipping forward on his head. He strummed quickly, then slowed down to picking. "I'm. So. Tired of this- Singing without any bliss oh, I'm. So. Tired of this…." He sighed, then viscously strummed at his guitar again before setting it aside and pouring batter into a pan and holding it over the fire he was sitting in front of. "Hey, Melvin! You want another pancake?"

The sleepy-looking mule tied to the front of the wagon blew air through its lips, and swayed its head back and forth in what Cindy took to be a "no."

The boy flipped the pancake. "Too bad. You're getting one anyways." He stood, and thrust the pan under the mule's nose. It turned its head away. The boy grabbed a bottle of syrup from the seat of the wagon and waved it in front of the mule's face. "Come on…. You know you want it."

Cindy smiled at the eagerness of the boy, then glanced at the sky. The dwindling light above let her know she had best get home for dinner. She began to back away, feeling conscious of every step she took, every crunch in the snow.

Suddenly a rogue tree root made contact with her heel, and with a gasp, she fell backwards.

It took a moment to realize what had just happened, and to get the air back into her lungs. Just as she was about to scramble to her feet, a slim hand appeared in front of her face. She looked up.

To her embarrassment, it was the boy she had been eavesdropping on. He had very blue eyes that were framed by long, dark lashes. His dark hair swept over his forehead, and little freckles dotted across his button nose.

"Are you okay?"

She grasped his hand, and he pulled her to her feet. She brushed the snow off her back. "Yeah. Yeah, I'm fine."

"You sure?"

"I'm sure."

He grinned. She smiled shyly back. His eyes wandered back to the ground, and he bent his lanky form to pick something up. It was her sketchbook. "You dropped this."

"Oh. Yeah. Thanks." She took the book from him and held it protectively against her side.

"I'm the Once-ler," he said in a rush. "Who are you?"

"Cindy," she replied, wondering if she should be talking to this stranger. "Cindy Lou Who."

"Well, Miss Who…" he looked back at the crackling fire, then faced her again. "Do you want a pancake?"

She laughed. "Well…"

"I've got lots! You can eat as many as you'd like! I mean, it's only been me and Melvin for a while, so I haven't been able to share my goods with anyone else… And no, I haven't been lonely." His grin became sheepish as he touched his fingers to the brim of his hat.

"Well…" Cindy looked behind her, debating on whether her mother would mind if she came back a little later than planned. "I guess I could stick around for a pancake or two."

She had four. The Once-ler proudly proclaimed that he made the syrup himself. She answered that he should start a business. The sticky stuff was rich and added the perfect sweetness to the pancakes.

"Oh, I am," he said, dumping another pancake on her plate. "Just… not in making syrup." He gave her a wide grin.

Cindy poured syrup over her freshly made pancake, then set the bottle down. "What are you starting a business in, then?"

He leaned forward with excitement gleaming in his eyes. "A little invention of mine. I call it… the _thneed."_

Cindy quirked her eyebrows together in confusion. "A what?"

"A thneed!" He then proceeded to tell her all the things a thneed could do. He spoke so fast that she had trouble keeping up. The list went on and on. She had a hard time imagining what a thneed could possibly look like.

"So what do you think?" he asked eagerly. By this point, he was standing, one foot on his bucket, hands poised in the air. "Can I really go places with this?"

Cindy gave an encouraging smile. "Yeah! I mean… It's _really _unique!"

He beamed. "You really think so?"

She nodded. "I just have troubles picturing such a thing- it'd take a genius to figure all that out."

His grin was contagious. "Well then… It's a good thing I _am _a genius!" His gaze dropped to her sketchbook, where it lay in her lap. "And what's this?"

She enfolded it protectively in her arms. "Nothing. I like to draw."

He held out his hand. "Can I see?"

She hesitated, but quickly crumbled under his enthusiastic gaze. He took the book from her, settled back down on his bucket, and ran his hand along the cover. A gold design danced near the spiral in what Cindy thought to be a perfect contrast with the dark orange color. He opened to the first page, and his eyes widened almost immediately.

"_Woah."_He glanced up at her, then down to the drawing- it was of a group of birds pecking at the ground. He turned another page. And another. "These are _fantastic!" _he gushed.

Cindy felt a blush rise to her cheeks, but she couldn't help grinning at his warm praise. "They're just sketches…"

_"Just _sketches?" He shook his head, and turned another page. He glanced up at her, eyes narrowing. "How old are you, anyways?"

He didn't look much older than she did, so she thought it wouldn't hurt to tell him. "Sixteen." His eyes dropped down to her sketchbook, and he continued to admire the pictures. He eventually came to the sketch of the deer she had drawn that same day. "I could almost pet it," he murmured. His gaze snapped up to meet hers. "Can you draw me?"

Cindy blushed because she had been watching him carefully, gauging his reactions to each drawing. "Draw… what?"

Once-ler jumped up, book open in his hands like he was delivering a sermon from it. "Me! And Melvin!" He thrust the book into her hands, and nearly tripped his way over to the mule.

He grabbed the animal's muzzle and posed, head tilted towards Melvin, that contagious grin brightening his entire face. The cold had brought a pale pink color to his cheeks, a redder one to his nose. His hand was perched against his hip, twig-like legs crossed. "Ready!" he said in a sing-song voice.

Cindy laughed, and figured it wouldn't hurt to give it a go. Reaching deep into her red coat pocket, she drew out a piece of charcoal. Turning to a blank page, she began. He stayed perfectly still as she scratched the black material against the white of the paper, etching a skeleton and breathing life into it. There was the sweeping hair, the fedora, the nose, the large, expressive eyes. There was the mule, looking like it wanted nothing more than a week's worth of sleep.

When she was finished, she turned the book around so he could see the end result. He eagerly bounded over, then crouched in front of her, hands on his knees. His mouth shaped itself like the slice of an orange, and his eyebrows nearly disappeared into his hair as he examined the picture. "Look Melvin!" he cried, glancing back at the mule and pointing at the picture. "It's me!"

Cindy didn't think the mule could care less.

Unfazed, Once-ler grabbed the book from Cindy and shoved the picture into Melvin's face. "I look even better on paper!" He set the book on the seat of the wagon, and turned to face Cindy.

"You, Miss Who," he said, pointing at her, "have some crazy talent!"

A warm glow blossomed inside her and spread from the edges of her ears to the tip of her toes. "Oh, it's nothing. You're much more talented than I am, I'm sure."

"Psh." Once-ler waved his hand, as if pushing the comment away. He seemed to give it a second thought. "Well, I _do _have a few..." He reached behind him and pulled out his guitar. "But I'd be nothing without this beauty." Dramatically, he strummed a chord. "Cindy Lou Who…" he murmured, staring at the ground in apparent concentration. "Has a talent, that's true." He strummed some more chords, then burst into singing. "She lives in a town full of Whos who do nothing but… snooze?"

Cindy let out a bark of laughter that must have startled away any forest creatures that may have been lurking nearby. "That's pretty accurate!"

He grinned. "Cindy Lou Who, whose pen really flew," he continued, his voice jumping from note to note. "And got to draw something brand new! Now she's laughing, and I'm…. What rhymes with laughing?"

"Umm... Baffing?" she giggled, naming the first thing that popped into her head.

"…And I'm… baffing…. Cindy, that's not even a word!"

She couldn't answer, let alone breathe from her sudden laugh attack.

"Saffing, maffing…. Nope. Whapping! And I'm busy whapping… Whacking? …Dumb bees…. From overseas…"

"Stop!" Cindy managed to choke out. "I can't… _breathe_!"

"Cindy can't breathe… All she can do is wheeze…. Woah, are you okay?"

Her uncontrollable laughs had turned into something more like sobs, making her lose her balance and fall off her pail and into the snow.

Once-ler quickly set aside his guitar, and crouched over her. "Sorry, sorry! I didn't think you were actually going to… keel over! Do you need- _hey!"_ Glittering crystals hit his face as Cindy chucked a handful of snow at him, then scrambled to her feet with a cry.

And so ensued an epic battle. Snow flew through the air, Cindy's hair becoming stringy with the melted substance, and Melvin getting annoyed when several stray snowballs hit him. Finally, panting and pink in the face, the two collapsed on the ground, calling it a truce.

Snow began drifting from the sky in fluffy flakes. Cindy closed her eyes and felt the frozen moisture resume their liquid form the moment they hit her heated face. With a pang of regret, she realized that the sky had turned to a dark blue, and there would be no light to see by soon.

Sitting up, she looked down at Once-ler, sprawled out next to her and gazing up at the sky, rapidly blinking every time a flake caught itself in his long lashes. "I have to go," she said, standing. He looked at her, then propped himself up on one elbow.

"Now?"

"Yeah." She glanced at the disturbed snow around them, then back at him, cracking a grin. "That was… the most fun I've had in months."

He scrambled to his feet with a laugh. "Yeah… That was the most fun I've had in… Well, forever." He scrunched his eyebrows together. "Actually, I don't think I've ever had that much fun without getting pounded to a pulp by Bret and Chet."

"Are those your… friends?"

"Brothers."

"Ah." She grinned at him. He grinned back. "Well, uh…. Good luck with your thneed."

His eyes lit up at the mention of his precious invention. "Yeah… Yeah, I'll need it."

They stood in silence for a moment, not sure what else to say. She was never going to see this boy again, she realized. The realization sent icy needles through her insides, and she suddenly felt empty. She nodded, and began backing away. "Well… Good-bye."

Once-ler opened his mouth as if he were about to say something, then closed it. A thin hand ran through his dark hair, which was a floppy mess after the snowball fight they had had. His fedora had been lost somewhere in the snow. "Bye, Cindy."

She walked away then, brimming over with conflicted feelings. It wasn't fair, she thought, to gain a friend and lose him in the space of one evening. She genuinely hoped he got somewhere with his invention. The thought of him facing failure was a painful one indeed.

It wasn't until later that night, whenshe was tucked safely under her covers in bed, that she realized her sketch book was still on Once-ler's wagon seat.

* * *

"What do you want?" the annoyed female standing in front of Cindy asked, a hand on her hip.

Cindy blinked rapidly, amazed that she had finally pushed the button. She had expected a voice to come from the intercom, but was instead faced with a hostile-looking woman who had thrown open the door with a bang.

She fished an envelope out of her pocket. "Um… I was told the Once-ler wanted to see me." The woman snatched the envelope away from her, pulled out the paper inside, and quickly scanned its contents. She looked mildly surprised.

"You're her? The president of Speaker of the Trees?"

"Well, uh…" She lifted her chin. "Vice president, actually. The president's busy."

"I see." She looked Cindy up and down through her blue horn-rimmed glasses and sniffed as if a smell in the air offended her. "Follow me."

Much too quickly, Cindy found herself in front of a door that bore the inscription "The Once-ler" in golden letters. Her heart became a hammer desperate to pound its way out of her chest. She tried to swallow, but her throat had somehow turned into sandpaper.

The woman rapped on the door loudly. "Oncie! The brat that's trying to ruin your business is here!"

"Mom!" a vaguely familiar voice moaned from inside the room. "How many times do I have to tell you to stop calling me that?"

Cindy suddenly saw this woman in a new light. She was Once-ler's… Mom?

Before she could give this new piece of information much thought, she was pushed inside the room, and the door slammed shut behind her. She stood there, her knees shaking. One sweaty hand clutched her folder, the other her skirt.

The office reflected the immenseness of his business. She felt like a mouse in the lion's den. But den wasn't the right word- they were dark and ominous. This place was gaping with space, and there were windows that stretched to the ceiling on every wall. She felt more that she was in a giant fish bowl than anything else- she could see the world.

He hadn't even looked at her when she came in. The full length of his green-clad body was draped across his high-backed chair. In his hands was a snow globe. Cindy knew that the buildings inside it made up Greenville, but she couldn't help but think back on that day they had shared in the snow together in Whoville. He set the globe down, then reached for his tall green hat that had replaced the modest gray fedora she had first seen him in, and set it atop his head.

"Now then, Moustache…" he said, finally glancing up. "I have called you here to…" He trailed off, and recognition flickered across his face. He gaped at her.

Cindy gave a weak grin. "Hi."

He stood, leaning over his desk and widening his eyes as if he couldn't quite believe what he was seeing.

"…Cindy?"

* * *

**To be continued! Please let me know what you think! **


	2. All Thanks to You

**Chapter two for you guys! Enjoy!**

* * *

_Music: "Something That I Want" by Grace Potter; "Star Canopy" from the Croods Soundtrack."_

**Chapter Two**

**All Thanks to You**

"_She's a girl with the best intentions_

_He's a man of his own invention_

_She looked out the window_

_He walked out the door_

_But she followed him_

_And he said, 'What'cha lookin' for?'"_

-"Something That I Want" by Grace Potter

Never had he forgotten Cindy Lou Who.

Sometimes he would stare out of the factory windows, imagining traveling back to Whoville and finding her again. To return her sketch book, if anything. And yet… He was loath to lose it. On nights when he couldn't sleep, such as when the Lorax harassed him about his business, he would pull out the orange book and flip through the pages, feeling as if he could actually touch and feel the fur on the cats or the lumpy rock of landscapes.

The last picture was his favorite. It transported him back to the day he first met her as if it had happened yesterday.

The book would lie on his bedside table every night, waiting for the next time it would be opened and examined. As his business took over his life, however, he tucked it away into the top left drawer of his office desk, where it was pulled out less and less often.

It was there now, four years later, and Once-ler was very aware of it. Cindy stood there, in her little blue jacket and checkered red skirt, watching him as if trying to find some hint of the boy she had met in the pine forest.

He was still standing, his gloved hands pressed against the edge of his desk. "What… what are you doing here?" he finally spluttered. He mentally slapped himself. Where had all his confidence gone?

Cindy smiled. He realized with a jolt that he had really missed her smile. "I came here to study art at Greenville College." She fidgeted with the purple folder that she clutched in both hands in front of her. "They offered me a decent scholarship, so I thought it would be worth a go."

He slid out from behind his desk and approached her as if she were a ghost, staring intently at her face. Her golden hair fell in waves to her shoulders, and her bright blue eyes watched him… nervously?

He felt his face open in a rush of excitement as reality hit him. "Cindy!" he cried, flinging his arms open. "I can't believe… Why, you're _here_!" He wanted to rush to her, pull her into his arms and give her a bone crushing hug. No- she looked too fragile for that. Just a hug, then.

But he held himself back. It had been nearly four years, after all.

Cindy looked away from him- was she being bashful?- and focused on his large office. "I see your thneeds were a huge hit."

Once-ler felt excitement swell inside his chest. Finally he would be able to tell her how much their meeting had meant to him. How the memory of her encouragement kept him going when everything looked hopeless. He knew it was silly, but he gave her partial credit for the thneed's success.

"Yeah, well…" he touched the brim of his hat. "I have you to thank for that!"

Cindy looked at him sideways in mild confusion. "Me?"

"Yeah!" Now he was the one who felt bashful, but he wasn't about to let it show. He was too powerful a man for that. He cleared his throat. "It's just… Well, you remember when we met in the forest, right? I still remember all the encouragement you gave me when it came to my invention. My ideas." He couldn't help grinning widely at her. "After a life of condescending words and ridicule, that meant… Well, a _lot." _

Wow, he was being cheesy.

"What I mean to say," he said quickly, trying not to lose ground, "What you said to me- the friendship you showed me that day- it kept me going. This- this wasn't easy." He gestured all around him for emphasis. "But knowing that _someone _had thought _something_ of my invention gave me the extra push to not give up. Cindy, I find myself indebted to you."

Cindy's eyes had become overly bright as she smiled softly at him. He pushed away the worry that he had just made a fool of himself. But she broke the silence.

"Gosh… I didn't realize that day had such an impact on you." Even though she was smiling, she looked conflicted. He briefly wondered if she was keeping something to herself.

"Ah, Cindy!" he moved towards his desk, and sat on top of it. "It's unbelievable how big of a success my thneeds have made… I mean, this is _huge!" _He grabbed the snow globe from his desk and thrust it in front of her face. "I'm even in a _snow globe!"_

She took a few steps closer and took the snow globe in her little hands. He watched with pride as she studied the buildings, the distinct shape of his factories (which happened to be the biggest buildings in the globe), and even a miniature figure of himself- rocking out on his guitar, decked out in his entire green outfit. Her eyebrows were raised in what he took to be amusement.

"Do you often go strutting around the city like that?" she teased.

He grinned. "Well… I _do _enjoy performing…."

"Wait- so you do?" she laughed.

Goaded by her laughter, he said, "I've also learned how to ride a unicycle- so I not only _strut _around the city showing off my unbelievable talents, but I _unicycle_ through it. Can't get much more talented than that."

"I don't know... Have you tried eating a banana at the same time?"

He pretended to look thoughtful. "Does it count if it's made out of marshmallows?"

"Marshmallows?"

"Yes, marshmallows."

She stared at him for a moment, and he feared that he had gone too far- now she would only view him as a weirdo, a freak. But then she broke out into another laugh. "You _haven't _changed!"

He laughed with her, but her comment puzzled him. "Why would I?"

"Well, it's only that-" she stopped. Her smile dimmed, then returned with its original radiance. "Never mind. It doesn't matter." She handed the snow globe back to him. He noticed the purple folder again.

"What's that? More fantastic drawings?"

Cindy's eyes snapped down to the folder, and she shoved it behind her back, as if that would put it out of his mind. "No- it's nothing."

"You sure?" he said, slurring "sure" in a teasing way.

"I'm sure. I actually have to go now… I was just… dropping by to say hi."

She was leaving him. Again. And much too soon. "But hold on! You can't just 'say hi' and then walk away!" He jumped off the desk. "Let's… do something together. Hang out." He shrugged. "Like good friends do."

Cindy watched him for a moment, then slowly nodded her head. "Okay…"

"I'll take the day off tomorrow, and I can… I don't know, give you a tour of the factories!"

She made a face. It wounded his pride slightly, but he realized that yeah, that wasn't really a fun get together. "Okay, then. How bout we…"

"Can we go on a picnic?" Cindy asked suddenly.

He was slightly taken aback. "A picnic?"

She nodded. "Yeah. With sandwiches and watermelon, and…. Marshmallows." A grin stretched across her face, giving her little dimples.

He couldn't help grinning back. "That sounds like an excellent idea! I'll pick you up- 11:30 tomorrow?"

"Yes." She began to back away, her purple folder still hidden behind her back. "Let's do that."

He bounded to the door, and opened it for her. "It's so great to see you Cindy," he said. "I mean, this really makes my day-"

"Mine too." She smiled at him, and in this close proximity, he was caught up in it. "Oh, here…" She pulled her purple folder open, careful not to let him see what was inside, and scrawled on a sheet of paper. She ripped it out and handed it to him. "My address."

Then she was out the door and heading down the hall, her blonde waves bouncing slightly as she ducked her head down as if fighting against a sudden gust of wind.

* * *

Another page was turned. Once-ler had Cindy's book laying flat in front of him. His chin was resting in the palm of his hand. He stared at the overly familiar pictures in a sort of dream-like state. Maybe she would draw for him on their picnic.

With a bang, his door flew open and his mom, Isabelle, drifted in. Once-ler quickly snapped Cindy's book closed and attempted to spread his papers and blueprints for his new dream factory over it. "Mom! Need I remind you to _knock_?"

"I'm your mother, Oncie- I don't need to ask permission to come into your office." She swept to his desk, and leaned over it, her eager face only inches from his own. Once-ler made a mental note to install a lock on the door. And actually do it.

"Now, did you get rid of that little vermin who wants to bring you down?"

He blinked at her in surprise. "Vermin? What? No, Mom, that was Cindy- I'd met her on my way up here years ago. She was just stopping by to say hi."

Isabelle's eyes narrowed in suspicion, but before she could respond, a little balding man hurried inside the office. "Mr. Once-ler, sir?"

Once-ler drew a hand down his face. "What is it, Mr. Filler?"

"Sir, the Choppers want to talk with you-"

"Well that's the job you're here for, isn't it?"

"Yes, sir, but they want a personal conference."

Once-ler shuddered. He didn't want to talk to those green giants. "Why?"

Mr. Filler began to splutter an answer, but stuttered to a halt when a presence filled the doorway. Once-ler almost unconsciously slid further down in his chair as the thin giant made its way to the front of his desk. Its hands and feet were much too big for its body, and were covered in ratted fur that curled slightly at the ends. It stood over him with little green eyes, its hands curled into fists.

"Mr. Once-ler."

Once-ler nodded his head in acknowledgement. "Yes? What do you want?"

"A number of our brethren are looking for work," it rumbled in a deep voice.

Once-ler looked to his mom for a hint of what she wanted him to do. She raised her eyebrows at him. "Well, Oncie?"

"Uh… How many?"

"Ten."

"Ten." Once-ler blew air through his rounded lips as if blowing bubbles. "Well, that's quite a number- Filler, how many do we have now?"

"Why, ten, sir- including Mr. Bret and Chet."

Once-ler nodded. "Which means thneed production will double, yes? Well. I don't see any harm in it…" It just meant that more trees would be cut down faster. Something pricked his conscience, but he pushed it aside. More thneeds meant more money! He could build his new factory sooner than planned.

He nodded at the Chopper. "Yes, um… Mr. Filler will arrange all of the paperwork."

The Chopper dipped his head in something like a bow, and trudged off. Mr. Filler wiped his shining pate with a cloth. "Strange creatures," he muttered. "Strange creatures."

"Yeeeeeah. Where did you get them Mom?" Once-ler asked, straightening in his chair.

"That one was looking for work, and I gave it to him. It's what really started getting your business going, Oncie. You didn't think it could stay a _family_ owned business, did you?"

He shook his head. "No, but…" he shuddered. "They give me the creeps."

"Good business means looking past how you get it. Remember that, Oncie dear."

His hand drifted over where Cindy's sketchbook lay. "Yes, Mom."

* * *

**Tell me what you think! :)**


	3. Speaker of the Trees

**Chapter Three! To avoid confusion, yes, I went back in time a little at the beginning of the chapter. By the end of it, however, everything will make sense. :) Enjoy!**

* * *

_Music: "Going Guy's Way" from the Croods soundtrack for the first part of the chapter; "See You Tomorrow" from How to Train Your Dragon soundtrack for the rest of the chapter._

Chapter Three

Speaker of the Trees

_Unless someone like you cares an awful, awful lot—_

_It's not going to get better._

_It's not._

-Dr. Seuss

The Lorax first came to her when she was sketching a family of barbaloots. The animals here were friendlier than back home- they actually came up to her and expressed joy every time she transferred them on paper.

The barbaloots in front of her were eating their truffula fruits under the shade of an orange-tuffed tree. They smacked their lips and slurped up the juices, making Cindy smile. She used the side of her charcoal to create the shadow cast by the tree and to shade in the barbaloot's bumbling forms.

Before she was fully finished, a brown bundle of fur climbed up on her back, peeking over her shoulder at the drawing. He emitted a soft "Ooooo" and reached out to touch it. Cindy gently grasped his paw. "It's not done yet," she said with a small laugh. "When I'm finished, you can have it."

The barbaloot's furry face brightened, and he lounged on her back until she was finished. She ripped the drawing out of her sketchbook and handed it to the little creature. He clutched the paper in his paws, admiring it.

Cindy enjoyed how easy the barbaloots were to please. She leaned forward. "What's your name then? Or shall I give you a name myself?"

"That's Pipsqueak," a gruff voice announced behind her. Cindy turned. A strange creature she had never seen before was standing before her, twig-like arms on his hips. He had an oval-shaped body covered in orange fur, with an impressive moustache dangling above his mouth.

"Oh. Thank you." She stood, brushing small pieces of grass off her skirt. "And who are you?"

The odd little creature placed a hand on his furry chest. "I am the Lorax. Guardian of the forest. I speak for the trees."

Cindy gave a little curtsy. "Pleased to meet you. I'm Cindy. Cindy Lou Who."

The Lorax looked her up and down as if sizing her up for something. "What are you doing here? Humans usually stay amongst their buildings."

"They do." Cindy lifted her sketchbook into the air. "But I like to wander on my own and draw things. Especially animals," she said, gesturing to the barbaloots. "I just moved in a week ago. For school. So I'm exploring the place."

The Lorax frowned. "In June?"

"It's a summer program."

"Humph." The Lorax held out his hand, and she gave him her sketchbook. He cleared his throat, then proceeded to open the cover of the book. His eyebrows came together, and as each page was turned, his eyes widened. "These are…. Relatively good," he grumbled. "And oddly familiar…"

Some of the barbaloots and swomee-swans had gathered around him. He tilted the book so they could see. "These look like the drawings in that one book the Once-ler had… A bunch of deer and birds and things." The animals all nodded and twittered in agreement.

Cindy tilted her head. "Wait… The Once-ler? The inventor of Thneeds? What did the book look like?"

"It was… an orange-ish color, right?" The Lorax turned to his fellow forest dwellers. "With little gold designs on the sides…"

"That's mine!" Cindy gasped with delight. "He still has it?"

The Lorax waved his hand. "_Had _it. We haven't really associated with him in a while, so we wouldn't know. But I would guess so."

She clutched her sketchbook close to her chest and commanded her heart to stop its fluttering. It only picked up pace.

The Lorax looked at her suspiciously. "You know Once-ler?"

"Yes!" she exclaimed. "I mean… I've met him. Once. When he was passing through Whoville. I had left my sketchbook behind on accident."

He stared at her a moment, then quickly turned to the animals. They formed a little circle, and began to quietly hiss to each other. Cindy awkwardly shifted from one foot to the other, wondering what was going on.

Finally, they all turned to her, and she suddenly felt very self-conscious.

The Lorax cleared his throat. "You and Beanpole on good standing?"

"Bean- you mean Once-ler? Yeah! Well, I mean… I haven't seen him since that first time." She felt a blush come to her cheeks. "He's a busy person now, so I don't think it matters if he knows I'm here or not. He probably doesn't even remember me very well, actually." The flutterings in her stomach began to deaden.

"Humph." The Lorax glanced to the animals on either side of them. "Tell me, do you enjoy trees? And animals? And clean air and water?"

Cindy was taken aback by his questions. "Um. Well, yeah."

"How would you feel if I told you that they were all in danger?"

Her smile began to slip. "Danger? What do you mean?"

The Lorax exchanged glances with the animals again. "Follow me."

They climbed a hill, the barbaloots and swomee-swans skipping after them. Some of the hummingfish climbed out of their watery homes and followed, humming a joyful little tune. Their little procession made Cindy think of a parade. All of the animals chittered away, and she couldn't help humming along with the fish. Everyone seemed to be in a happy mood except for the Lorax. He marched up the hill with a determined stride for one so small. Cindy wondered why he looked so grim.

Once they crested the hill, she discovered why.

A gasp slipped through her lips, and all the animals stopped their noises, leaving an echoing silence throughout the land.

The scene in front of her was like something from a nightmare. This must be the other side of town, she thought. It was where all of the Thneed factories were kept. The sky was clogged with dark smog creeping out from the factory pipes. Nothing sang. Nothing hummed. And not one tree swayed in the wind, for there weren't any. All that hinted at their previous existence were ugly gray stumps poking out of the ground like gravestones. The horrific scene seemed to stretch out for miles.

Cindy turned to the Lorax. "What happened?" she whispered.

"This-" he thrust a hand out to the wasteland in front of him. "Is the product of greed and machinery." He dropped his hand, and sadly looked up into Cindy's face. "Which both happen to belong to the Once-ler."

Cindy shook her head. "No," she said. "No, I've met him. He's not like that… He wouldn't do this kind of thing."

"But he has." The Lorax's blue eyes swept over the destruction in front of him. "That boy you met however long ago…. He's not the same person. Not at all." He hung his head. "He had called me his friend at one point- now I'm nothing but a nuisance to him." He looked back at Cindy again. "He won't listen to me anymore. But perhaps if you could talk to him…"

Cindy shook her head. "I can't. I don't think I want to meet this new Once-ler." She felt sick. The possibility that the boy in the forest had caused so much destruction made her mind reel.

The Lorax sighed, and shook his head, staring sadly at the ground. "Then all of this-" he gestured behind him, where the truffula trees still flourished and the sky was still bright blue- "Will someday be gone as well."

"No!" Cindy bit her lip. "I mean… Doesn't anyone realize this is going on? Can't they talk to him?"

"They're too caught up in their own little world inside Greenville. Besides, they enjoy mass production to fulfill their needs. They don't give any thoughts to us." His whole body was slumped forward, as if the possible future physically weighed him down.

Cindy cast her eyes about the wasteland, then back to the flourishing part of the forest. The animals all stared at her with pleading, innocent eyes. She was suddenly filled with a fierce need to protect them all. Internally steeling herself, she turned to the Lorax. "Okay. What do I need to do?"

* * *

The next day she had tried to get in to see the Once-ler. She was turned away, and harshly informed that the Once-ler was too busy to see anyone unless they made an appointment. She tried making that appointment. Again, she was turned away, being told that he was much too busy to hear the unnecessary complaints of a little girl.

Cindy began to despair. She went back to the Truffula forest every evening to report her failures to the Lorax. He suggested getting other people to listen. "If there are enough people who care, the Once-ler will _have _to listen to us," he insisted.

They decided to call the campaign "Speaker of the Trees," giving a nod to the founder and president- the Lorax himself. He dubbed Cindy as his vice-president.

The next few weeks were filled with Cindy handing out fliers calling out for people's attention, rallies that no one came to, and petitions that never got signed. It got even more discouraging with the nasty things people would say to her as they passed.

"Tree-hugger!"

"Stop preaching doom, little girl!"

"Just because you may have bought a defective thneed doesn't mean you have to take it out on the entire city."

"You're going to ruin the economy, girl!"

What was worse, if possible, were the fan-girls. Cindy was pelted with insults and criticism and even marshmallows whenever she passed by a group of them. They seemed to be everywhere.

"Well," she'd sigh to herself, "There goes any chance of making new friends here."

Finally, on her twenty-third day of failure, she struck success.

She was waving a hand-made poster that said, "Thneeds make trees bleed!" when a young girl with tight brown curls slowed to watch her.

"Are you starting a club or something?" she asked.

Cindy blinked rapidly at her for a moment, then grinned her widest. "Something like that. It's a campaign. To save the environment."

"Does it need saving?"

Cindy nodded vigorously. "All those thneeds the Once-ler is making… it's causing us to lose our resources. It may not look bad now, but soon there will be no trees left, which means no clean air or water."

The girl considered her a moment. Cindy guessed she was probably about fourteen. Then she smiled, showing multicolored braces. "Count me in!"

Cindy though she might have misunderstood her. "What?"

"Count me in! I want to join your club."

Cindy could have cried. Finally, another member! She gave the girl, Norma, a pamphlet to read and told her to meet her by the old well just outside the city's entrance at three o'clock the next day. Norma nodded her head vigorously, then skipped off, leaving Cindy to wonder if she would really show up, and whether such a young person could really help in her campaign.

The following day, Cindy waited by the well. After two hours, she gave in to the fact that Norma wasn't coming. Feeling dejected, she sulked over to the Lorax. "Well, I _had _a member…" she mumbled as she approached him. He was standing on a rock and had a smug look on his face that irritated her. "What?" she asked.

His moustache nearly bristling with pride, he revealed an envelope he had been hiding behind his back and waved it at her. "Hey, you've done _something _right, kid," he chuckled. "Look."

Cindy took the envelope. It had already been opened. On the front, it was addressed "To the President of Speaker of the Trees" in green ink. Curious, she pulled out the slip of paper inside and quickly read it.

"It's signed by the Once-ler. He wants you to go see him tomorrow," she stated, handing him the envelope. "Do you think he's changing his mind?"

The Lorax shook his head. "I doubt it. I think he's getting annoyed with complaints about the complaints. He wants to scold me, I'm sure."

"But… how does he know you're the president?"

The Lorax sighed. "It's the way I introduce myself. I speak for the trees. He knows this. Of course I'm behind it."

Cindy sighed and collapsed onto the grass. "So you're going to try and convince him again?"

"No," the Lorax said, "you are."

Cindy snapped her head up to look at him. "Me? But he wants the _president, _not the _vice-_president."

The Lorax clasped his hands behind his back. "He won't listen to me. I've nagged him so many times that I'm just a nuisance he'd rather get rid of. You, on the other hand…" He jumped off his rock and stood in front of her. "This is the perfect opportunity. If he hears this from you, then maybe- just maybe- he'll listen."

* * *

"So." The Lorax stood on his rock, watching as Cindy picked a truffula fruit from a tree and sat to eat it. "How'd it go?"

"It went… well."

"Really?" His eyebrows went up in surprise. "He's going to stop cutting down trees?"

"Well…" Cindy tossed the purple fruit between her hands sheepishly. "I didn't exactly… talk to him about it."

The Lorax nearly fell of his rock. "What? Why not?"

"Well. He was so happy to see me, and I just…. Couldn't ruin the moment." She shrugged, then took a bite of the fruit. The sugary sweetness exploded in her mouth.

"But… but what about those arguments you typed up? The ones you were going to show him?"

Cindy shrugged. "I didn't share them." Actually, she had tossed her purple folder in the trash can that was just down the hall from Once-ler's office. "But," she said, "he's taking me on a picnic. I'll tell him everything then."

The Lorax's moustache bristled. "A picnic?"

"Yeah. I mean, he still wants to be friends. He wants to hang out."

The Lorax didn't take his piercing gaze off her, which made her feel uncomfortable. "And you're sure you'll tell him what changes he needs to make then?"

"Yeah." She took another bite. "I was thinking… I would show him the same thing you showed me the first day we met."

He hesitated, then nodded. "Alright. Fair enough."

They were silent for a moment. Cindy spoke. "You were wrong, though. He hasn't really changed."

"No?"

"He's still… the same silly boy I met in Whoville." She shook her head with a smile, as if it could make the memory clearer.

The Lorax looked rather alarmed. "No, Cindy. He's not. Don't let him fool you."

"Maybe he's been fooling you," she said quietly.

He frowned. She took a final bite of the fruit, then stood, tossing the core to the ground.

"He's not bad- he just doesn't realize what he's doing. I'll make him understand."

The Lorax didn't look convinced. He looked like he was about to argue, then changed his mind. "Cindy… You just be careful."

* * *

**Remember to tell me what you think! :)**


	4. Famous is as Famous Does

**I had lot of fun writing this one! Enjoy! :)**

* * *

_Music: "Everybody Loves Me" by One Republic; "Dreams Don't Turn to Dust" by Owl City; "Without You" by the Piano Guys_

**Chapter Four**

**Famous is as Famous Does**

"_Oh my_

_Feels just like I don't try_

_Look so good I might die_

_All I know is everybody loves me_

_Head down_

_Swaying to my own sound_

_Flashes in my face now_

_All I know is_

_Everybody loves me."_

-"Everybody Loves Me" by One Republic

This was it.

The moment he had been so anxious about since Cindy left his office.

His lack of concentration had made his mom suspicious, he knew, but he only twirled her with a laugh and proclaimed, "Business is booming!"

Hopefully that had gotten her off the scent.

At 11:30 sharp, he pulled into the apartment complex's parking lot.

His sleek green convertible had been spit and shined to perfection. He had placed his tallest hat on his head. He wore his nicest pin stripped suit, and his biggest sunglasses.

He was pretty B.A., he thought smugly to himself.

Before he could get out of his car and swagger to the door as every gentleman should, Cindy rushed out of the two story red brick building and stepped quickly down the steps, clutching a large light blue checkered blanket against her chest.

But Once-ler wasn't about to let her get the best of him. He would start this date out right.

Nimbly leaping over the door without bothering to open it, he rushed to the passenger side of the car and held open the door with a flashing smile. At least, he hoped it was flashing.

She grinned and shook her head at him as she approached, blushing at the ground.

She wore a bright orange blouse and a jean skirt that barely scraped the tops of her knees. Her blonde hair was tied back in a ponytail, but her bangs still fell into her eyes when she looked down.

"Thank you kind sir," she said in a light voice when she reached him.

"My pleasure!" he answered happily, and waited until she had settled herself in the seat before he closed the door for her.

Then he leapt over his own door and gunned the engine.

"We're going to take a little detour," he remarked. Cindy deserved all the attention she could get.

"Oh- okay," she said. "Why?"

"It's a surprise!" Oh, how Once-ler loved giving surprises. He glanced at Cindy. She was smiling quietly as the wind whipped her bangs back from her face. He had her curiosity.

As they headed deeper into town, however, Cindy seemed to grow a little concerned. "I was thinking that we could have this picnic outside of town…"

"Wherever you like," he answered. "But first, I want everyone to meet you!"

"Meet me-?" Something flashed across Cindy's face, a realization. Before she could say anything, however, they turned onto the shopping center's cobblestoned street. Here was where the fun was. Here was where everything took place- parades, concerts, parties with plenty of fireworks.

Hundreds of people milled about the streets and in front of little shops. When they saw his convertible pull in, all attention was focused on him.

People cheered. They waved. Smiled. Flashed pictures.

Ah, fame.

There was nothing quite like it.

He honked and waved his gloved hand, laughing and grinning like it was Christmas. "Isn't this the life, Cindy? With me, you'll never be- Cindy?"

To his immense surprise, she had sunk low in her seat, her hands sprawled over her face. She peeked at him through her fingers.

"I can't be seen!" she hissed. "Please, let's get out of here before someone recognizes me!"

Her curious behavior made Once-ler laugh. "You're so humble, Cindy! When you're with me, you learn to bask in the fame. The people will love you just for being in my presence! Now smile, the newspaper crew is just down the street…"

"Once-ler," Cindy choked, "Please. I don't want this. I'm not used to it. Let's just go have our picnic."

He supposed he'd better listen to her. He _was _being a little inconsiderate. She had no idea how to handle this kind of attention after all. "As you wish," he sighed in slight disappointment.

He revved the engine, and picked up speed, letting his adoring fans flash past quicker than he would have liked.

Once they were clear of the crowds, Cindy pushed herself up into a more comfortable position. "You should have told me," she mumbled.

Once-ler laughed. "Well, usually the girls around here would kill for the chance to be caught out with me." He draped his elbow lazily out the window. "But I guess you aren't like other girls."

Cindy didn't say anything. In a moment of panic, Once-ler wondered if he had offended her. He cleared his throat. "So… Where did you want to have the picnic?"

Cindy led them out of town. He grew increasingly uncomfortable as they traveled down a beat up road that probably wasn't even used anymore.

"Stop here. Just pull over."

He did as she commanded, and frowned. "I don't-"

"We have to walk there." Cindy flashed a smile at him.

Once-ler faked a laugh, feeling awkward. "Cindy, not many people come out here anymore-"

"I know. Come on."

She opened her door and got out. Once-ler bit his bottom lip, then followed suit, carefully removing his shades. Reaching into the back, he drew out the picnic basket he had his main cook put together for him.

Cindy led the way, holding the blanket she had brought.

"So, when exactly was the last time you were out of town?"

"Um." _Um?_ His confidence was wavering again. If he was honest with himself, the few trees drooping around them intimidated him. What if Moustache appeared from behind one of them? That would be awkward….

"It's been a while," he said finally. About three years, actually. Once his company took off, and more and more people came to live in the once nearly non-existent town, he tended to stick to being indoors.

He cleared his throat again. "And you? Do you… come out here often?"

"Yeah, I do actually," she replied. "I like to sketch animals. Remember?"

How could he not remember? Proof of it was still sitting quietly in his desk. "Yeah, yeah of course I do."

They made their way up a hill, and Once-ler was trying not to let his laborious breathing show. He used to be so full of energy, so full of life.

Now he was just out of shape.

How embarrassing.

Cindy didn't even break a sweat. She was the first to crest the hill. "This is where we'll have our picnic," she announced.

Once-ler reached her side, and his eyes widened.

He had a momentary flashback of when he had first stumbled on this place in his old covered wagon. Paradise. That's what it had been. So many trees, so much material to produce his product with…

This place looked much the same. The colorful trees grew close together, and the scent of butterfly milk wafted through the air.

"Wow," he whispered.

He was thrown back into reality when Cindy gently touched his shoulder. He looked at her. She smiled. "Let's go."

Once-ler instantly grew more chatty. The many trees, the sudden surprise of them, made him feel nostalgic. Before he knew it, he was sharing stories of his many adventures when he had fist come to this place.

He was in the middle of one when they picked a spot, and he helped Cindy spread the checkered blanket across the grass.

"…And then I wake up, right, and I'm in a freaking _river._" He took a moment to laugh at the memory. "I was like, 'I'm gonna die. This is the _end._' And there was this little barbaloot with me, named Pipsqueak…"

"He seems to be a real people person," Cindy commented with a smile as she settled herself down on the blanket.

"Yeah, he was a friendly furball…" Once-ler sat down across from her, removing his hat and setting it next to him. "And so then we were _just _about to go over a _waterfall _when…" He pulled out the sandwiches and handed one to Cindy, keeping one for himself. "When the Lorax pushed this huge boulder over the side of the cliff, nearly _crushing _me, and then I was _flying _through the air…" He took a bite of his sandwich. "And then I blacked out. Then I wake up to the Lorax, and you know what he said? Turned out _he _was the one who had put my bed in the river!"

Cindy looked startled. "But why?"

"Well, because…" Once-ler trailed off. Because he didn't want him cutting down his trees. He could almost feel his conscience squirm as he remembered holding up his right hand and declaring that he would never cut down another tree.

He had promised.

Promised.

Cindy was watching him intently, waiting for an answer. He mentally shook himself.

"Well, he was a little trickster, that creature was. I've learned to stop meddling with him. You can't change a person, after all."

He noticed with a twinge of worry that Cindy was frowning at her sandwich.

"What's wrong? Don't like green eggs and ham?" Green egg and ham sandwiches were his favorite. After all, green was his trademark color.

"No, no, the sandwich is fine…" Cindy brushed her bangs out of her face. "It's just… I don't think you're right. I mean, maybe you can't change a person. But maybe… Maybe you can influence them to change." She shrugged. "I think people change all the time."

Once-ler pulled a giant bag of marshmallows out of the basket. "I know one thing that will never change," he said, opening the bag. He threw an entire marshmallow in his mouth. "I will never stop loving marshmallows."

Cindy laughed, and snatched the bag away from him. "Gimme those." She fished for two marshmallows and bit into one.

"You know, this is a little like the first time we met," Once-ler said aloud, running a hand through his hair. "I'm always feeding you," he teased.

She popped the rest of the marshmallow in her mouth and gave him a cheesy grin. "That's why I wanted a picnic."

Once-ler snatched the bag of marshmallows away from her. "What are you, a hobo? I can't feed you all the time!"

"Oh yeah?" Cindy grabbed the bag, but Once-ler kept a tight grip on it.

It became a tug-a-war, and before long the bag exploded, spraying marshmallows all over their blanket.

Cindy was in a fit of giggles. "Now look what you've done!"

Once-ler pretended to look highly offended. "Me?" He picked up one of the puffs of sugar. "Well, since we don't have snow this time, Miss Who…"

He tossed the marshmallow at her lightly, and it bounced off her nose.

"Hey!"

Marshmallows went flying through the air. Once-ler jumped to his feet in an effort to get away from Cindy's onslaught. He pelted her as he playfully jumped backwards, dodging marshmallow after marshmallow.

Cindy finally sprang up and chased after him, arms full. Once-ler quickly ran out of amo and took to shielding himself behind trees.

He realized that if he had even a sliver of a chance, he would have to get back to the picnic blanket and gather more ammunition. With that plan in mind, he darted from behind a tree, and took off for his target.

Cindy popped out of nowhere and grabbed his arm.

He tripped, and they both went down together, Cindy landing on top of him with an "oof!" He watched in fascination as her bright blue eyes turned from mirth, to shock, to mortification.

"I'm sorry!" she gasped, quickly trying to get off of him. It resulted in nearly crushing his chest with her arm and being kneed in the stomach. "Your suit! I hope it's not ruined…" She hovered next to him on her knees, genuinely afraid she might have done something terribly wrong.

She had.

She had gotten off of him too quickly. Did she really fear him? The thought made something twist inside his chest.

He laughed, sitting up and putting an arm around her. "Cindy, it's okay. You didn't do anything."

Her already rosy cheeks darkened in color. "You sure?"

In answer, Once-ler smoothly got to his feet, and offered her his hand. "Positive." He smiled at her encouragingly.

After a brief hesitation, she took it. This view, of her laying helpless on the ground, was the first he'd ever seen her in. It was how they met. The memory glowed warmly inside him, and he pulled her up to her feet.

Before she could say anything, something fell from a tree and landed on her shoulders. Both Once-ler and Cindy cried out in surprise, but it was only a barbaloot.

A barbaloot?

"Hi, Pipsqueak," Cindy laughed, tugging playfully on his ear.

Something clicked inside Once-ler's mind. "You… You know him?"

Cindy looked sheepish. Pipsqueak held his arms out to Once-ler with an "aah!' sound, and he let the furry creature jump into his arms. He laughed awkwardly.

"Heh, heh… You never really… You didn't mention…"

Cindy brushed her bangs back, quickly tucking them behind her ear. "No, I didn't." She looked towards the ground, then back up at him. "Once-ler, there's another reason why I brought you here."

Suspicion loomed in his mind. "Okay."

Cindy turned to look behind her, then faced him again.

"I need to show you something."

* * *

**To be continued!**


	5. Barbaloot Ball and Watermelon Cannons

**Chapter Five! It's my little sister's favorite chapter. Enjoy!**

* * *

_Music: "When Can I See You Again?" by Owl City; "Up Is Down" from Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End soundtrack; and finally "The Cove" from How To Train Your Dragon soundtrack for the end. x)_

**Chapter Five**

**Barbaloot Ball and Watermelon Cannons**

"_It's been fun but now I've got to go_

_Life is way too short to take it slow_

_But before I go and hit the road_

_I gotta know, 'til then,_

_When can we do this again?"_

-"When Can I See You Again?" by Owl City

Cindy felt incredibly guilty for many reasons.

First, she probably embarrassed _the _Once-ler in front of all those people. Second, she really didn't like green eggs and ham. Third, she probably got grass stains on his suit. And fourth, she should have told him the truth about everything the moment she got in his car.

Somehow, she felt she was about to betray him. But then again… he had to see what was happening. He had to see the damage he was causing. Even he would probably be shocked and put a stop to it.

That was the hope, anyway.

One-ler had acted bright and cheery when she told him she needed to show him something, but she could tell he was wary. She took a deep breath.

"Actually, before I do, I need to _tell _you something."

Pipsqueak was now hugging his neck with his paws, and Once-ler kept a hand on the creature's lower back so he wouldn't fall. For some reason, the sight touched her.

"Go on," he prompted when she didn't speak.

She was startled into nervousness. "Well, I, uh-"

"HEADS UP!"

Without warning, a barbaloot went flying through the air. Once-ler nearly dropped Pipsqueak trying to catch it, but Cindy stepped in to the rescue. The creature, who was a lot larger than Pipsqueak, fell heavily in her arms. The poor thing looked dizzy and worn out.

Two figures came crashing through the forest, yelling and whooping the whole way. Pipsqueak's grip on Once-ler tightened, and he partially hid his face in fright.

"Hey, look! It's the _Dunce-_ler!" one of them cried out in a loud, obnoxious voice.

Once-ler looked confused. "Bret? Chet? What are you doing here?"

"Well, we were supposed to be following you after mom heard you were with some girl- hey, is this her?"

The two darted towards her, and Cindy couldn't help but take a small step closer to Once-ler. She wished she could just hide behind him without looking like a child. She felt intimidated by these two.

"…Yeah, yeah, I guess…" Once-ler still looked like he wasn't quite comprehending what he was seeing. He put a hand heavily on Cindy's shoulder.

"Guys, this is Cindy. Cindy, these are… my brothers. Bret and Chet."

A vague memory came back to Cindy of Once-ler telling her that he was always getting pounded to a pulp by these two. She believed it. Everything about them shouted "destructive."

Cindy knew she should be polite, but instead she blurted out, "Why were you throwing this barbaloot around?"

"Oh, we were playing barbaloot-ball!" the one named Bret exclaimed. "We haven't played it in years!"

"Yeah, that's why we lost you guys in the first place. And it's a good thing we found you, or Mom would've been so mad…" Chet slipped an invisible noose around his neck and hung himself.

"Mom?" Once-ler repeated. Suddenly, it seemed to click for him, and a terrifying spark Cindy had never seen before lit in his eyes. "Mom sent you? To spy on me?" His voice rose. He was not happy.

"Well, she didn't want any rumors starting…"

"Yeah, she's not about to have her precious little Oncie's reputation pulverized…" Bret's use of a baby-ish tone made Once-ler look even more annoyed.

"Look, I don't care what Mom says, go home and leave us alone, will you?"

"Why should we listen to you?" Chet smirked. "It's not like you can fire us. Mommy wouldn't like that…"

The two broke out in obnoxious laughter. Once-ler, who had always seemed so confident and tall, seemed to shrink. Cindy had the strong urge to hug him, hold his hand…

But Once-ler quickly composed himself. He straightened, and it was now clear who was the one in authority. He hefted Pipsqueak higher on his shoulder. "You know… Barbaloots don't make for very good throwing things," Once-ler said lightly. "But in that basket over there-" he pointed to their picnic basket, "is a big, juicy watermelon. Now, that would be a joy to throw _and _destroy."

Bret and Chet's eyes glimmered with excitement. Once-ler strode to the picnic blanket, and set Pipsqueak down. He lifted the large watermelon out of the basket with both hands. "Here ya go!" he cried, and with a swing, threw it into the creek that was flowing only a few yards away.

The twins leapt for it, howling in delight as they splashed into the water.

Once-ler suddenly grabbed Cindy's hand. "Run!" he hissed in her ear.

Leaving everything behind, they took off, Once-ler still holding tightly onto her hand. He turned to her and grinned just as one of the boys yelled, "Hey, they're getting away!"

"Faster!" Once-ler said, pulling her along.

Cindy kept tripping over her sandals. Finally, she kicked them off, and soon she was the one pulling Once-ler back up the hill, and then down. The car wasn't very far- if they could just outrun the twins….

A giant green thing flew through the air and narrowly missed Once-ler. It rolled down the hill in front of them.

"They threw the _watermelon _at us?" Once-ler cried in disbelief.

Something about the tone in his voice, and the running, and hand-holding, made something bubble up in Cindy, and she began to laugh.

Heavy footsteps pounded behind them. Cindy didn't dare look back for fear of losing ground.

The hill made them both go faster than they could handle, and they tripped over their own feet until finally flying through the air and rolling down the hill. Once-ler's hand was torn from hers, and all she could hear was grass rustling and her own body hitting the ground as she rolled violently down the hill.

She crashed into something, which flinched away from her, then grabbed her hand and pulled her up to her feet again.

Incredibly, she was laughing again. Laughing her head off.

And Once-ler was joining her. They crashed past the drooping trees. There- there was the green convertible!

"Just jump in!" Once-ler cried, and they did. Cindy vaulted the door and landed in her seat with a triumphant cry.

"Hurry!" she shouted.

The twins were racing for them.

Once-ler was fumbling with the keys, muttering something about jellyfish under his breath. Finally, he fitted the key in the ignition, and started the engine. Cindy whooped.

The car bucked forward when he hit the gas and slid as he made an impressive 180, and they began to fish-tail away just as Bret and Chet slammed themselves into the sides of the car.

They were left in the dust. Cindy laughed and cheered as they sped away, and Once-ler held his palm up to her. She high-fived him, and Once-ler cried, "Aaaaaal_right!"_

Filled with a giddy mirth, she refused to let the fact that she didn't get the chance to show him what they were there for get her down. She didn't care at the moment anyways.

At least, she hadn't.

But as they sped down the road in victory, she could have sworn she saw the Lorax standing off to the side, shaking his head at her in disappointment.

* * *

"You know, if I were in a different car, no one would recognize me."

"Oh yeah?" Cindy laughed.

"Yeah. Cause I always wear my hat in public. And sunglasses." He held up the folded glasses and flicked them back and forth between his long fingers.

Cindy was glad he hadn't put them back on. She enjoyed being able to see his eyes. And he looked more like the boy she met in the forest without his overly-tall hat. He didn't look so stuck up- and rich.

"Why don't you stand up to them?" she found herself asking. "Your brothers."

Once-ler glanced at her in surprise and gripped the steering wheel with both hands, shrugging. "Not much I can do about them, I guess."

"But… You're their boss, right? And.. in power, and-"

"It's… My mom," he said sheepishly. "She won't let me fire them."

Cindy frowned. "Do you… do you do everything your mom tells you to?"

"No!" he snapped a little too quickly. "I mean…" He frowned, then tilted his head to the side, squinting his eyes. "You know what? I _do."_

This realization seemed to shock him. Cindy smiled.

"Maybe you should talk to her. Tell her that, well, it's _your _company, and _you're _the one running it, and she should…" she shrugged. "Back off."

Once-ler's head snapped around to look at her. She immediately felt sorry she had been so blunt.

But he laughed. "You know… maybe I _should."_ But somehow, he didn't seem very sincere about it.

Cindy knew she should move on to a different subject, but she didn't. "Are you… are you afraid of her?"

"Who?"

"Your mom."

"No! ….I don't know." He brought his fingers to his temple as if he had a headache. "Sorry the picnic was ruined."

"Oh no, it wasn't ruined." Cindy grinned at him. He glanced at her again.

"Really?"

"Really. I had a lot of fun powning you at marshmallow wars," she teased.

"Ha!" He lightly hit her in the shoulder with his fist. "Never again, I assure you!"

"We'll see about that."

They were at her apartment. Once-ler ran his hand through his windblown hair. "Ugh. Sorry you lost your blanket… And you're shoes."

Cindy laughed. "It was an old blanket. And the shoes…" She shrugged.

"I'll buy you a new pair," Once-ler announced. "Or five pairs if you wanted. Ten, even. I can buy you as many shoes as you want!"

Now Cindy's laugh was uncomfortable. She had never had anyone but her parents offer to buy her things before. Well, not things like clothes or shoes. Buying the food on a date was different. "Um, that's okay," she said. "I have other shoes."

"You sure? Cause, well, you know…" He draped his arm across the car door and leaned back pompously in his seat. "I _am _the richest guy in town…"

Something about his change in attitude annoyed Cindy. She wasn't sure if he was teasing or not. He _was _the richest guy in town… But that wasn't something to go around bragging about.

…Was it?

"Well. I'd better go inside now. Thanks for the date."

Once-ler looked slightly cast down. "Oh. Yeah. You're welcome. Hold on, don't move!"

Cindy couldn't help a smile as he leapt out of his seat and over the car door, and jogged his way around the front of the car to hold the door open for her with a grin.

She studied him as he bowed forward, gazing up at her with merriment. There were no sunglasses to hide the expression in his eyes. There was no hat to hide the ruffled hair. His smile seemed genuine, his entire attitude slightly less intimidating. Her smile grew soft, remembering the surprise on his face when she fell on top of him, the feel of his thin but solid chest under her hands…

His head tilted to one side, and his eyes grew wide in confusion as he straightened slightly. "What?"

Cindy shook herself. "Nothing, nothing…." She slid out of the car, then turned to face him. "I just… I really had a good time."

And she hugged him.

She was hugging him- the richest man in town- her arms wrapped around his middle and her head tucked in at his chest.

He must have been surprised, because he didn't move for several seconds. She started to worry that he wasn't happy that she was hugging him, but then his hands softly settled on her shoulder blades. Then, his long arms wrapped around her, and he held her securely against him.

She drew away with a smile. "I'll see you later."

Then she turned, and darted back up the steps and into the apartment without looking back.

* * *

**To be continued!**


	6. The Purple Folder

**Hey guys! Sorry this took so long to put up- and I'm also sorry that it's a pretty short chapter! It's been a crazy week! Hope you enjoy nonetheless. :)**

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_Music: None- it's a rather short chapter, with so many different moods that it's pretty hard to choose a song that portrays this chapter accurately. Apologies!_

Chapter Six

The Purple Folder

"_Sometimes the questions are complicated and the answers are simple."_

–Dr. Seuss

"Stop smiling!" Once-ler slapped himself as he mounted the steps to his building.

But it made him smile even more.

She had hugged him.

Hugged him?

He'd never… well, he'd never really been hugged like that. He didn't know what to do! He had had a deer-in-the-headlights moment.

He hugged himself as he made his way down the hallway, then did a little twirl, humming loudly to himself.

He'd have to write a song about this.

And then perform it.

On the roof of the building, where everyone could hear!

And then… and then….

Once-ler kicked open the door, and galloped right in his office, ending with a spin. "This is the pla-a-a-ace!" he sang in a loud voice.

"Is it now, Oncie?"

Once-ler was a little floored when he saw his mom leaning back in his giant spinning chair, arms crossed and glasses on the edge of her nose as she gazed at him disapprovingly. He wasn't about to let that bother him.

"Mom!" He rushed to her, and grabbed both her hands, holding them high. "How's life?"

She scowled at him. "Oncie, I think we need to talk."

Her tone finally popped his happy bubble. His smile turned very fake. "Yeah, we do actually. Would you care to explain why you sent Bret and Chet to spy on me like some trouble-making child?"

"Don't you use that tone of voice on me!" his mother snapped, standing. "I had good reason."

"Well then!" Once-ler collapsed in the chair, slumped down and with his feet resting on the desk. "Tell me. Cause, you know, I was kinda sorta in the middle of a _date."_

Isabelle blinked. "A date?" she said sharply.

"Yeah. You know… Where two people who really, really, really, really, really, really, really-"

"Oncie!"

"-_Really _like each other go hang out? Just the two of them. Without getting _interrupted _by two lumbering idiot brothers."

Isabelle crossed her arms and continued to frown at him. "You mean to tell me you went on a date with the vice president of the Speaker of the Trees?"

Once-ler stared at her for a second, processing what she just said. Then, he burst into laughter. "No! Mom, I don't know _what _you're talking about…"

"The little blonde who came in here yesterday?" Isabelle pushed. "You were expecting the president of the Speaker of the Trees…"

"Yeah, and he never _came_." He straightened in his chair. "Cause we all know it's just that furry nuisance trying to cause trouble again…"

Isabelle's eyes narrowed. "You really don't know then, do you?"

Her little joke was getting old. "Know what?" he snapped. He felt annoyed that his mom wanted to ruin his perfectly blissful mood.

Isabelle pursed her lips. Then, she reached for a stack of papers Once-ler hadn't noticed laying on the desk. Actually, stack of envelopes. And underneath it… Was that-?

"These," Isabelle waved the envelopes in one hand, "are letters of… _concern."_

Once-ler huffed a little laugh. "Concern."

"For your business." She plowed on, cutting him off. "And _this…"_ She held up the familiar purple folder. "Is Cindy's."

"I know that's Cindy's," Once-ler said in irritation. "You didn't have to look through her stuff!" He snatched at the folder, but Isabelle held it a bay, and tossed the pile of letters onto his desk. "I would look at those first. Then I'll show you what Cindy's been keeping in this lovely folder."

Once-ler's mood was turning very sour very fast. Gritting his teeth, he snatched a random envelope and tore out the paper inside. All the envelopes had been opened already, to his intense irritation.

He scanned the letter quickly. "Wait… Why are they asking me if I'm going to cut down on Thneed production?" Isabelle didn't answer. He tossed the letter to the side, and opened another. "_Dear Mr. Once-ler… Saw you with the brat, was wondering if she's trying to influence you to stop making your thneeds… _What is this?" He grabbed another one. "_Don't let her preach doom to you…. Don't give in… your thneeds are great…."_ He slapped the sheet of paper down and glared at his mom. "What is going on?" He tried very hard not to let the frustration show in his voice.

In response, Isabelle handed him the purple folder. "We found this in the trash down the hall."

Once-ler snatched it from her demon hands, and flipped it open. Words, pictures, and charts jumped out at him.

"Wha-?" He grew silent as he continued to read. His frown grew deeper and deeper.

Finally, he snapped the folder closed, unable to read anymore.

"No… This isn't right. She's not… She… She wouldn't…."

Isabelle's frown softened, and she put on a mask of melodramatic sympathy. "Oh, Oncie!" She threw her arms around him, sniffling against his neck. "I'm so sorry!"

He pushed his chair violently back, tearing himself away from her. He leapt up from the chair and stood, watching her like one who's been betrayed and has nowhere to go. "But…"

"Now, this is why Mommy tells you not to focus on one girl. They're all vile, evil creatures who use clueless boys like you for their own cunning devices." She sniffed again, and wiped away at a tear he didn't see. "You're just too trusting, dear Oncie. I'm afraid you'll never have much luck with romance. Now you know the truth, and you're never going to see her again, are we clear?"

He blinked rapidly at his mother. "Yes… too trusting… clueless…" He slowly shrank back into his chair. "You're right…"

"My poor, poor Oncie!" Isabelle made an advance on him again, but he held his hand up.

"No, Mom. I… You've made your point quite clear. Now leave me. I've… I've got work to do."

"Of course, dear. Oh, Mommy's just so proud of her Oncie!" She grinned at him as if she hadn't just completely crushed his bubbly mood and left him alone in his office.

He swiveled in his chair. Then he began to spin….

Spin, spin, spin.

It was something he did in his earlier days, when he actually felt guilty about cutting down the Lorax's trees and breaking his promise… But those days were over. He hadn't been in a depressed mood like that for over two years now. His business had kept him too busy.

His office turned into a mesh of color as he continued to spin, trying to dull his mind.

Yet the words were now imprinted in his briain, and it didn't matter what he saw with his physical eyes. He would always see those words in his mind's eye.

She was against his business. Completely against it.

Against him.

He closed his eyes.

Oh, how could he have been so _stupid!_

How else could Cindy have gotten inside his office? Of course she had told his mom that she was part of the Speaker of the Trees crap. Vice-president even. So then she was pretty close to the Lorax, wasn't she?

And she never mentioned this as he was telling her about him at their picnic.

Not a single word.

She'd been tricking him. Trying to get close to him. Or… something.

The point was- she had been dishonest in keeping this from him. And the truth hurt _especially _now that it wasn't coming from her. It was coming from his mom of all people…

He stopped his spinning. It was pointless.

And he was hopeless.

Was it possible to feel so insanely happy one moment, and so deeply depressed the next?

_That's _why Cindy had tried to hide when they drove through town- she didn't want to soil her campaign by being seen with the one she was fighting against. Only it went the other way around- now his customers were worried that _he _was being influenced by her. Actually listening to her. When she was trying to bring him down? Never!

He sprang from his chair and began to pace. The purple folder… Why would she have brought it if she wasn't going to use it? She obviously was going to talk to him about that stuff, but changed her mind. Maybe that's why she never mentioned anything. She'd had a change of heart. Seen how great his company was and how foolish it was to listen to the Lorax.

Once-ler nodded to himself, finding this more and more likely.

Yes, he was still slightly upset about her little secret, but he could get past it. In fact, this just meant he should _keep _seeing her. Reaffirm that _he _was right, not the Lorax.

Once-ler smiled. This changed nothing.

He laughed, grabbed the stack of envelopes still lying on his desk, and threw them into the air.

* * *

**Tell me what you thought! Again, apologies for it being so short!**


	7. Norma

**Finally! I'm so sorry I've been behind on posting chapters. Finals week and all. Enjoy!**

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_Music: "Everybody Wants to Rule the World." You can listen to whatever version you want, but I listen to the one by Sue Ellen. _

**Chapter Seven**

**Norma**

_Everybody wants to rule the world_

_Say that you'll never, never, never, never need it_

_One headline—why believe it?_

_Everybody wants to rule the world._

-"Everybody Wants to Rule the World" by Sue Ellen

"Okay- what _happened _yesterday? I thought you were going to show him all the destruction he's caused!"

"Hello to you too," Cindy mumbled, taking a seat on the ground. "Look, I was going to- I really was. Then his obnoxious brothers showed up and-"

"And he drove you away into the sunset so you just _forgot _to tell him what the whole date was really about. I see." The Lorax stroked his moustache. "I'm getting worried about this, Cindy. You need to tell him. A.S.A.P." He jumped down from his boulder and stood next to Cindy, gently putting his hand on her knee.

"What's to worry about?" she asked.

"Well, for one thing, you can't really trust him."

Cindy snickered. "And this coming from the guy who dumped his bed in a raging river in the middle of the night?"

The Lorax's eyes widened, and his mouth opened into an "o" shape. "He _told _you that?"

"Oh, yeah. You could've killed him you know."

The Lorax brushed it away with a wave of his hands. "I was desperate to get him out of here."

"So you resorted to murder? And I'm supposed to _trust _you?"

"No, no! I mean, yes!" He slapped his hairy palm against his forehead. "I mean- _no, _I wasn't trying to murder him, and _yes, _you should trust me."

Cindy sighed, and leaned backwards until she was laying on her back, her legs stretched out in front of her. "I know I can," she mumbled. "I just… He's so _nice."_

She could almost feel the Lorax's disappointment. "This is what I was afraid of. Cindy, you can't trust him. All he cares about is his own greed. His need to have more money, even though he's got more than anyone around here. He's taking away our home…"

"Yeah, but I don't think he realizes that." Cindy sat back up, eager to defend Once-ler. "I mean… and his mom is pretty tough on him I think."

"Ha! You should meet his aunt sometime…"

"I'm serious. I think he's afraid of her. Or afraid to displease her. Something. But it's… it's blinding him to the reality, I think. Maybe we should find a way to make him see that."

The Lorax seemed to think about this for a moment. "You know… You have a point. I truly think he was more than willing to honor our agreement about not chopping down the trees until his relatives showed up… Should I dump _their_ beds in the river?"

Cindy grinned. "That's not a bad idea…."

"Hey tree-girl!"

Both Cindy and the Lorax turned in surprise to see someone running up to them.

"I've been looking all over for you! Sorry I didn't make the appointment." She grinned when she reached them, showing her multicolored braces.

"Norma!" Cindy said, scrambling to her feet. "You… You still want to join the campaign?"

The girl with the curly brown head nodded vigorously. "Of course I do! I've always wanted to be a rebel!" She bared her teeth and growled.

Cindy and the Lorax stared until Norma went back to smiling. The Lorax looked up at Cindy, his eyes wide. "_This _is the one member you were talking about?"

Cindy straightened, lifting her chin in defiance. She took the few steps to close the distance between Norma and herself, and draped an arm around her shoulders. "Yes. She's our little hero."

"Hey, who you calling little?" Norma demanded.

Cindy tightened her grip on her shoulders. "And she's got the feistiness we need."

The Lorax looked Norma up and down. "Well that's for sure."

"I've got more than that," Norma said, turning to look at Cindy. "I've got-" she looked left and right, as if checking to make sure no one was listening in- "_information."_

"Oh yeah?" Cindy asked. "Like what?"

Norma stood to her full height. "Well. My dad works for Mr. Once-ler. He's in charge of the Choppers." She whispered the last sentence, and when she said "Choppers," she gave a little shudder. "Anyway, he knows a lot about what's going on at the factories and things. Tells mom about them all the time. I listen in when they don't know it." She grinned, pleased with herself.

Cindy nodded. "Go on."

"Well, I know that Mr. Once-ler is about to hire ten more Choppers, twice the amount he has already."

The Lorax made a strangled sound. "He can't-!"

Cindy put her hand on his head to steady him. "Go on, Norma."

"Um… The millionth thneed will be made soon? Mr. Once-ler will probably throw a huge party for it."

"The… _millionth?" _The Lorax could barely get the word out.

Norma nodded. "Yep. It's pretty huge."

"That's right- a pretty huge pain in the a-"

"Hold on a minute!" Cindy cut him off. "Maybe… maybe we could somehow make everyone at the party understand how monumental that is for the environment? How that kind of production needs to stop? Maybe run some kind of "you've got your millionth thneed- now let's plant a million trees" slogan?"

The Lorax raised his eyebrows.

"Well…" Norma slid a little backpack off her shoulders and unzipped it. "All you'd really have to do is show up…"

She pulled out a newspaper.

Cindy grabbed it, and stared at it in a mix of mortification and amazement. "I'm…. I'm on the front page of a newspaper."

"Lemme see that." The Lorax snatched it away from her, and scanned it. A slight smile tugged at the corners of his lips. "Well. That's interesting."

Cindy snatched the paper back.

A picture of her and Once-ler driving down the street took up half the page. In bold letters were the words, "CEO OF THNEEDS COMPANY BUYING INTO SCAM?"

Cindy let out a laugh of disbelief. "Seriously? I didn't even make that much noise… I'm _one person _for crying out loud! Why are they all so freaked out?"

"You could use this to your advantage," the Lorax said. "If the people think that you spending time with the Once-ler means he's starting to listen to you…"

"But couldn't it go the other way around? Wouldn't they think that he's bribing to drop the whole campaign?"

Norma took the newspaper back and rolled it back up. "People are stupid," she said lightly. "They'll do anything for a bit of gossip."

"So- what? The Once-ler and I are suddenly a hot topic?" Cindy groaned, and began to pace. "When my parents find out…"

"That's not the point," the Lorax interrupted her. "The point is trying to get the people to listen to you by… well, getting close to him."

Cindy stopped her pacing and stared at him. "What?"

The Lorax looked uncomfortable. "Well, I mean, you don't have to… But if the people think you're getting through to him… They might listen."

"But hold on- get close to him? As in… _use _him?"

The Lorax held up both hands in defense. "Now, you're twisting my words, kid…"

"First you act all concerned like maybe I'll get myself hurt if I keep spending time with him, and that he can't be trusted, and now suddenly you're all 'oh get close to him, _lie _to him for your own purposes, doesn't matter if you hurt him….' No! How could you even _suggest _that?"

The Lorax sighed. "Forget it then. Do what you like. But Cindy- the fate of… all of this-" he gestured to the trees standing serenely around them- "lays in your hands."

"Oh thanks, now you're putting all the pressure on me," Cindy said sarcastically.

"I'm just saying… I hope you have everything under control. I hope you know what you're fighting for."

"Of course I know what I'm fighting for! Why else would I go around making myself the most hated person in the city? For kicks?"

He shook his head, lowering his bright blue eyes to the ground. "I'm not going to fight you. Just… be careful, Cindy."

And he walked away.

Cindy felt bad for snapping on him. But really- he could be hard to please sometimes.

"Sooooo…" Norma scooted closer to Cindy, who had resumed her pacing. "How _was _the date?"

"It wasn't a date," Cindy mumbled.

"Yeah, it was. And how was it?"

"It was…" Cindy stopped pacing, and sighed. "It was probably the best date I'd ever been on, actually."

Norma grinned. "See? You just admitted it was a date."

Cindy ignored her and sat back down next to the creek, swirling the water with her fingers. Even this creek wasn't the cleanest now.

Norma silently crouched down next to her. "So. Do you like him?"

Cindy frowned at the water. "What?"

"Mr. Once-ler. Do you like him?"

Cindy sighed in exasperation. "How could I know? It was only one date! And if the city's going to freak out over it like this, there probably won't be another one."

The thought of never hanging out with Once-ler again struck her like a heavy blow. She hoped she could hang out with him again.

Norma was watching her carefully. "You know… You really _should _go to the party."

Cindy shook her head. "The paparazzi would probably be all over me."

"That's the thing," Norma said, pulling up blades of grass and twisting them in her fingers. "We dress you up all pretty, and you're the Belle of the ball. They should be interested in hearing from you then."

Cindy clenched her jaw. "No, I don't think it will work that way." She stood. "I'm going to walk. And think. I'm kind of… overwhelmed."

Norma nodded.

"Thanks for being so interested in the campaign," Cindy said as she backed away. "And for all of the information. It really helped."

Norma smiled. "Oh, and you should also know- I think Mr. Once-ler has a crush on you."

Cindy walked away then, furiously telling her fluttering stomach to knock it off.


	8. Grocery Stalking

**Hey guys! Hope you all had a Merry Christmas (or if you don't celebrate it, still a merry week!). I've been posting a lot less often than I'd like to, so I'll try to be better at that. Here's Chapter Eight- Enjoy!**

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_Music: Secrets by One Republic, The Writer by Ellie Goulding_

**Chapter Eight**

**Grocery Stalking**

_I am the green in the grass_

_That bends back from underneath your feet_

_And I am the blue in your back alley view_

_Where the horizon and the rooftops meet._

_-_"The Technicolor Phase" by Owl City

She had just walked into the store, her blonde waves being swallowed by the automatic doors.

Once-ler detached himself from the lamp post he had been leaning against, and followed in pursuit.

No, he was not stalking her.

Okay, maybe he was.

But neither of them wanted to be seen together in public currently, and he had to talk to her. So the only way to do that was to dress up like some punk and sneak around. He tugged self consciously on the large gray hoodie he had on, hoping no one would think he looked _too _suspicious, even with the hood up and his hands deep in the front pocket.

His lanky form made its way to the doors, and he hunched over as he stepped inside the store. What if someone recognized him? He'd be pounced on for sure. And that's the last thing he wanted right now.

He was a man on a mission.

Skipping right past the carts, he began to wander, head lowered, around the store. Where'd she go? Maybe it would just be easier to wait outside for her to emerge….

Nah, this was too much fun.

Did he just see blonde waves disappear into the next aisle?

With a loping stride that he imagined punks walk around in, he headed for the aisle. Just as he was passing it and about to peek in to see if Cindy was there, someone nearly rammed into him.

"Sorry," she muttered, dodging him quickly.

It _was _Cindy. Must have walked into that aisle on accident, and was hurrying out just as he was passing by.

He watched as she quickly walked farther down the store, peeking into an aisle occasionally before she finally disappeared into one.

So adorable.

With a widening grin, he loped after her, careful to keep his hood over his eyes.

He _did _get a few suspicious looks- but that was probably because he looked pretty shady in his loose hoodie and blue jeans, moping about the place like he was going to steal something. He tried to ignore any looks he got, and focused on re-finding Cindy. It was a fun game.

She had gone to the produce aisle, and was carefully picking from a large selection of red apples. Once-ler moved stealthily (in his mind) towards her. She tied the bag of apples in a knot, and set them in her grocery basket, moving to the selection of vegetables that had just been sprayed with water.

Mustering up his courage, he loped himself in her direction, hands still in the front pocket. When he was standing right next to her, staring at packages of carrots and leafy greens, he cleared his throat.

"I need to talk to you," he said in a low voice.

No answer.

Once-ler turned his head to the left so he could see past his hood. Cindy had long since walked away. He had just talked to a bunch of vegetables. He huffed a breath of frustration, twisting to the right.

A small boy that barely reached his waist stared up at him.

Once-ler froze. He cracked an awkward smile. "Hi, kid."

The boy stared at him, his eyes growing wider by the second. "You need to talk to the carrots?" he whispered.

Once-ler cleared his throat and simply patted the boy on the head. It was time to go after Cindy again. He backed away, hoping he hadn't freaked out the kid _too _much.

He never got close enough to talk to her. He snooped around, enjoying the whole thing a little more than he should have. Finally, Cindy got in line to have her things rung up.

Once-ler slipped into a line at another register, then realized he had nothing to buy. He quickly grabbed a pack of gum off one of the mini shelves.

When he finally reached the register, he glanced back at Cindy for the hundredth time. She was already done and picking up her bags. With a sweet smile and a nod, she told the cashier thank you and began to walk towards the exit.

"No!" Once-ler muttered.

"That'll be a dollar nineteen, sir."

Once-ler spun on the cashier, searching his pockets for some loose change. "But… but the sign said 87 cents."

The woman behind the register coughed. "Tax."

Grumbling, Once-ler found a few quarters and dimes, and managed to pay for the gum. Once he had it in his hands, he bounded for the exit, nearly smacking himself into the automatic doors.

Once he was outside, he was momentarily blinded by the sunlight. Should've worn his sunglasses… but then people might recognize him. He quickly looked around, blinking rapidly as he searched for Cindy.

"Hey."

He jumped and spun around. She stood behind him, grinning.

"Were you following me?"

Once-ler, caught off guard, spluttered. "Psh, following? You? No, no, I… I just needed… some, uh… some gum." He pulled out the pack and waved it in her face.

One of her thin eyebrows was raised skeptically. "Mmm."

"Yep. But, uh… I _did _want to talk to you…" He pocketed the gum.

Cindy's smile grew. "Okay. Well, uh, I need to get these groceries home…"

"Here." Once-ler took most of the bags from her, despite her protests. "Cindy, I need to put these scrawny limbs to use somehow."

Cindy laughed. "Fine. Fine, take them."

Soon, they were walking side by side, grocery bags rustling against their legs. She glanced at him. "So you really had to put on a hoodie to disguise yourself? In this weather?"

He shrugged. "It's not _that _hot out." Actually, he was going to start steaming under that thing pretty soon.

"It will be by the time we get to my apartment," Cindy pointed out.

"I have an internal cooling system."

"Oh, yeah?"

"Yeah. It turns on once it detects a hint of sweat."

"You're joking."

"Yeah, but now that I've thought of it, I'm going to have to invent it. It might even produce better than my thneeds!"

Cindy chuckled, but then bit her lip and didn't say anything else.

Was she really so against his company?

He cleared his throat, tightening his grip on the grocery bags. "Listen, Cindy… Uh, have you been keeping something from me?"

She jerked her head to look at him. "Why would you say that?"

"Well." He took a deep breath. "Have you?" He found himself staring at the ground, hardly able to look at her in fear of what she might (or might not) say.

"Yes," she finally said. "Yes, I have been keeping something from you. I… well, I tried to tell you when I was in your office, but it just… would ruin the moment… and then the reason why I took you out on that picnic…"

"So then," Once-ler looked over at her. "You _are _against thneed production?"

Cindy's eyes widened. "No, no! But…" she trailed off, then stared down at the sidewalk. "Once-ler, we're not doing this right."

He nearly tripped on the sidewalk. "What?"

"I've just been thinking… Well, we're friends. And… I want to stay that way. But the whole issue with your business…" She shrugged. "It'll get in the way. So I was thinking… We should have two relationships. A friendship, where we're just friends, and a business relationship, where we just talk… business."

Once-ler thought about it. "Okay…. Is this just a way to avoid talking about this?"

"No, it's not." Cindy stopped in her tracks, and Once-ler had to stop as well, turning to face her. She took another deep breath. "You and I need to make an appointment. At your office. And there, we'll discuss… business."

He cocked his head to the side, observing her. It was a strange idea. But… maybe it could work. Maybe they could be friends and semi-enemies at the same time? The more he thought about it, the more sense it made.

He suddenly grinned. "Looks like we have a deal, Miss Who." He stuck out his hand. Cindy took it with a smile, and they shook on it. "So then would you like to meet me tomorrow? What time?"

"Umm…" Cindy leaned to one side. The bags were starting to get heavy for both of them. "How about 2 o'clock?"

"Works for me!"

She beamed. "Good." They resumed walking. "So… have you always had those clothes, or…?"

He looked down at himself. "Uh, bought them this morning, actually."

Cindy looked like she was trying to stifle a giggle. "Well. They look good on you."

He gave her a sideways glance. "Are you teasing me?"

Her grin had a hint of mischievous behind it. "I might be." She gathered all her bags in one hand, and with her free hand she tugged down his hood, making his hair flop in different directions. She smoothed it down. "There." She gave him a satisfied smile. "Now I'm not."

Something twisted inside of his chest as he watched her smile at him. She really didn't mean him any harm, did she? They could be friends. It could work.

He would _make _it work.


	9. POBLO

**Sorry for the delayed post! Also it's probably the shortest chapter yet... but you don't mind, you you? :) Enjoy!**

* * *

_Music: None. Sorry!_

**Chapter Nine**

**POBLO**

_When at last we are sure_

_You've been properly pilled,_

_Then a few paper forms_

_Must be properly filled,_

_So that you and your heirs_

_May be properly billed._

-Dr. Seuss

Cindy put away her groceries with a smile on her face. She genuinely loved being around Once-ler. From the very first time she'd met him, he was just a lot of fun to be around, and left her feeling both warm and fuzzy and guilty at the same time.

But she would talk to him, and they would work together to find a way to save the environment without ruining his business. It would all work out.

Hannah emerged sleepily from their room, pulling her disheveled dark hair back into a messy ponytail. She'd slept in til noon again. "Who was over?" she asked, taking a seat at the table.

Cindy put the milk in the fridge. "A friend. We ran into each other on my way home and he helped carry my groceries."

"Aw." Hannah got busy making herself a bowl of cereal. "That's sweet."

Her roommate normally didn't talk with her much. They both kept to themselves. As far as Cindy's campaign went, Hannah had taken a pamphlet and never mentioned the subject again. Cindy knew what Hannah must think of her. Anti-social tree hugger. While Hannah was out at parties nearly every night, Cindy was either with the Lorax or doing homework. She had tried finding a job, but they were rather hard to come by in a city that didn't like people who preached for a change in their way of life.

So the job search was still on-going. It wouldn't be the end of the world if she didn't find one this semester- after all, she had plenty of money saved up.

But she'd need one eventually.

Once-ler would probably give her a job. But what would that do to her campaign? She can't work for a business she was punching in the gut.

There was a knock on the door.

"I'll get it," Cindy announced quietly, leaving Hannah to her cereal.

She was met with two men in fancy suits and shades. The both held briefcases. "Miss Cindy Lou Who?" the taller one asked.

"Yeah, that's me." She shuffled her feet nervously.

"May we come in?"

"Of course." She stumbled out of the way as they strode in the door.

The tall, skinny one had close-cropped hair, and gave her a sly smile that made her feel uncomfortable. The other one was short and stocky, and hadn't even come close to cracking a smile. He was bald.

Cindy heard a door shut quietly as Hannah escaped to their room.

The thin man extended his hand to Cindy, and she took it. "The name's Morris. Jerry Morris. This is my collegue, Jensen." Cindy shook hands with the stocky man. Morris cleared his throat. "We represent the P.O.B.L.O- Protection of Biological Life Organization. But we like to call ourselves POBLO. Like the name Pablo." He chuckled as if he had just said the punch line of a joke.

Cindy felt her eyebrows rise. "Wait- Protection of… You mean…"

"Yes, ma'am. May we take a seat?"

"Yes- yes, of course!" Cindy gestured to the couch, and she herself drew a chair out of the kitchen so she could sit across from them.

Once comfortably seated, Morris continued. "We've heard a lot about your… campaign here in Greenville," he said. "Not going very well, is it?"

Cindy felt a light blush come to her cheeks. "No, I- well. No."

Morris's overly white teeth gleamed at her. "Well, Miss Cindy, we're here to tell you that your troubles are over!" He lifted his briefcase into his lap and opened it, pulling out some papers. "We're here to ask you to support us- and in turn, we will support _you."_

This was almost too good to be true. Cindy narrowed her eyes in suspicion. "What am I supporting you in?"

"Cindy, Cindy…" Morris leaned forward. Jensen still scowled next to him. "We share the same views, you and I. We want to protect the environment, save it from all of this industry."

Cindy nodded. Morris continued.

"And because we have noticed your valiant efforts here in Greenville, we want you to be a part of our organization. Think of it- with us, you can dump your pitiful little campaign that's never going to get anywhere—no offense- and actually _do _something to preserve the environment and keep those wild plants and animals safe."

His statement gave her mixed feelings. For one, she felt offended by his jab about her campaign, even if it was true. But if she could actually accomplish what she's been trying to do for over a month with these people….

"Okay." Cindy kept her back straight, business-like. She wished she were wearing something more professional. "So what's your plan of action?"

Morris chuckled. "_Now _you're talking. We need to make an appointment with the Once-ler. We've got a deal to strike with him."

"What deal?" Cindy asked curiously.

"We'll brief you with the details at another time. But if it works- We guarantee that both you _and _the Once-ler won't be disappointed."

Cindy thought about this for a second. A dark thought came to her mind. "Forgive me," she said, "but… Is this for real? Or were you hired to tell me all this just to stop my noise in the streets?"

Morris barked out a laugh. Jensen's expression stayed exactly the same. "Cindy, dear- no offense, but you didn't make that big of noise. Just enough to catch our attention." He leaned back in his seat, crossing his legs causally. "Actually, what really got people talking about your campaign was what was on the front page of the newspaper yesterday." He grinned. "Nice move, getting close to the Once-ler… making people think…"

Cindy's face grew hot, and she couldn't help frowning at him. "That's not what it was like."

"Sure, sweetheart." If he was close enough, she was sure he would have patted her hand. She interlaced her fingers and held her hands protectively in her lap.

"So… When are you going to meet with the Once-ler?"

Morris looked over at Jensen as if to exchange glances, but Jensen didn't look at him. Morris looked back at Cindy. "Well, we tried seeing him today, but he wasn't in. So we came straight to you instead." He winked. "Second priority on our list was rounding you up on our side. With you, our project is sure to be a success."

"Project?" Cindy instantly grew suspicious again.

"To achieve the preservation of the environment, of course!" Morris fluttered a sheet of paper over his head. "It's our number one goal."

Cindy chewed on her bottom lip, thinking. "So… what happens when I join this… this…"

"Just call us POBLO. And that's easy- you come to work for us." He looked around the apartment pointedly, and Cindy wished it were a bit tidier. "As a college student, I'm sure a job would be welcome."

It would. "What are the things I'd do?" Cindy asked.

"We'll give you a job description once the deal with the Once-ler has been struck." He handed the paper he had been waving around to her. "Just sign this contract declaring that you are now a member of POBLO." He winked again. "That way we know you're really on our side."

Cindy skimmed over the words on the piece of paper. Everything looked okay… Signing only showed that she would support this organization. And while she wasn't very fond of its representatives, she was sure the organization itself had good intentions. In fact, they would be able to actually _do _something about the environmental problem.

These people were actually a miracle- heaven sent. Finally, some people who understood her and what she was saying.

She most likely wouldn't come across another chance like this again.

Morris handed her a pen, and she uncapped it. She paused, hesitating before she signed. "You won't… try to ruin Once-ler's business, will you?"

"No, no, of course not!" Morris grinned his widest yet. "In fact, he will absolutely _love _our offer."

Cindy bit her lip, then signed the contract.

Morris snatched it away from her the moment she was finished, and set it in his briefcase, shutting it with a snap. "Pleasure doing business with you, Miss Cindy." He handed her a card. "We'll keep in touch."


	10. New Business Plans

**Chapter Ten for you guys! Enjoy!**

* * *

_Music: Under Pressure by Queen; Illumination by Jennifer Thomas_

**Chapter Ten**

**New Business Plans**

_It's the terror of knowing _

_What this world is about_

_Watching some good friends_

_Screaming, "Let me out!"_

-Under Pressure by Queen

"They want to build a _what?"_

Once-ler was back in his office, back in his business clothes. And his mom was back to harassing him.

"A zoo, Oncie!" She was almost squealing in delight. "Can you imagine? How fast the money will multiply?"

He was still confused. "But… why would we need a zoo?"

"Well, if you would have been _here _when they showed up, you would know all about it." Isabelle's eyes narrowed in suspicion. "Where _were _you today anyway?"

"Oh." Once-ler laughed awkwardly. "I… I went for a walk."

Isabelle's eyebrows lifted. "A walk."

"Yeah!"

She stared him down until Once-ler began to squirm in his seat. To his immense surprise, she let it go.

"Anyway, I told them to meet you tomorrow at ten. They'll explain everything then." She patted his head with more force than he was sure she meant, and strutted out of the room.

Once-ler barely had a moment to relax and get back to work before there was a knock on his door. "Enter!" he called out. Mr. Filler walked in, wiping his forehead with a small cloth.

"The other Choppers have been hired, sir. You now have twenty."

"Very good." He sat back lazily in his chair. "Thank you, Mr. Filler."

The short man nodded his head, and began backing away. He paused at the doorway, then turned and walked quickly back. "Mr. Once-ler, sir… I think I should speak to you about something."

Once-ler extended his arms. "Go ahead."

The poor man glanced around the office as if someone might be listening. "The… the Choppers… well, sir. They're not normal creatures."

Once-ler regarded Mr. Filler for a moment. "I know they're not," he finally said, feeling some sympathy for his hiring manager.

"No, but they're… they… they don't _think _the way we do, sir." He began twisting at the cloth in his hands. "They're… They're destructive, and ruthless, and-"

"They haven't hurt anybody, have they?" Once-ler felt a little alarmed at Mr. Filler's words.

"Well, no, sir, but…" He lowered his voice to a hoarse whisper. "They're not human." His eyes were bulging out of his head. He looked terrified.

"I see." Once-ler reclined in his chair, crossing his feet on his desk. "And what would you like me to do about it?"

"Well, sir, I would consider maybe… well, if you even wanted to…"

"Stop stuttering Mr. Filler and just tell me what it is you want."

The man grew quiet, and cast his eyes to the floor. "It's nothing, Mr. Once-ler. I was… over reacting."

Once-ler sighed. "I think you're experiencing a lot of anxiety, my man." He leaned forward. "Take a few days off. Spend some time with your family." He smiled kindly. "How's your little girl? Um… Norma, was it?"

Mr. Filler's eyes widened as if he had been caught with his hand in the cookie jar. "Mr. Once-ler… I had no idea… I told her to stay away from her, but she's in something of a rebellious mood…"

"Woah, woah, woah!" Once-ler held up both his hands. "What are you going on about?"

Mr. Filler was struck speechless for a moment. Then, "Why, Norma's been meeting up with that girl who goes around bashing your business, sir. But I'll put a stop to it, don't you worry. I-"

"Hold up." Once-ler stood, confusion twisting in his brain. "Cindy? Norma's been meeting up with Cindy? To… ruin my business?"

Mr. Filler looked terrified. "Oh, I wouldn't say that, sir. But don't you worry- I'll keep Norma away…"

"No, no it's alright, Mr. Filler." Once-ler sat back down, suddenly feeling very tired. "You don't have to tell your daughter to stay away from Cindy."

Now he looked surprised. "I… I don't?"

Once-ler shook his head with a small smile. "No. What can they do? This company is too big to fail!" He paused a second. "Hey, that has a nice ring to it. It should be my new slogan- 'Too Big to Fail.' I like it."

Mr. Filler smiled and began backing away. "Yes, Mr. Once-ler, sir. Very fitting indeed."

"Yes…" Once-ler twirled slowly in his chair, a smile growing on his face. "It is, isn't it?"

* * *

Once-ler gave Morris a firm handshake. "Welcome, gentlemen! Now, my mom- uh, secretary- was telling me about some idea for a zoo?"

Morris grinned, flashing very white teeth. "Well, we've noticed that a citizen of Greenville has been… sowing some doubt about what your company is doing to the environment."

Once-ler shrugged, and took a seat in his high-backed chair. "She's harmless- one girl."

"Yes, but nevertheless… she _does _have a point."

Once-ler cringed. "She does?"

"Yes. Mr. Once-ler, if we don't do something to preserve all that nature out there-" he gestured out the windows, "-It'll all be gone. So."

He motioned to Jensen, who set a briefcase on Once-ler's desk and clicked it open, drawing out some papers.

"Why not preserve the wild- in a zoo?"

Once-ler nodded. "But… why a zoo?"

"Well," Morris laughed, adjusting the cuffs of his sleeves. "Some people out there may actually begin to wonder what will happen to the environment. If you create a zoo, they will be satisfied that a portion of nature will be preserved. And you can keep on with your business without worrying about it! Plus." He leaned over the desk, his eyebrows raised suggestively. "You'd get even more profit for running a zoo. With our help, of course."

It made sense. A swelling of excitement made Once-ler nod encouragingly. Then he frowned when he pictured the scenario. "Wait… But the barbaloots… and Swomee Swans…" He pushed his giant top hat back slightly. "They'll be locked up. In cages."

Morris stared at him for a moment, as if trying to understand what his point was. "Yes… That's what a zoo is. Is there a problem?"

"A… a bit." Once-ler bit his lip. What was he doing? He was cheating himself out of a marvelous opportunity to preserve the environment _and _create even _more _money. But at the same time… Something about those creatures he had once called friends confined in smaller spaces made him feel bad.

Morris sighed. "Mr. Once-ler, I assure you that the animals will be well taken care of. They'll get nice, large habitats. They won't know the difference between zoo and Truffula Valley. In fact, they'll _love _all the attention they'll get!"

Once-ler still couldn't quite imagine keeping the animals confined. Moustache would throw a heck of a fit. "I suppose…"

"Oncie!"

Isabelle barged into the office, hands on hips. "You'd _better _be telling these gentlemen that you agree to their plan wholeheartedly."

He swallowed, trying not to let his nerves show. Cleared his throat. Had she really just been eavesdropping? "Gee, Mom… We've already got quite the business going on now… Is it really necessary to have a zoo?"

Something glinted in Isabelle's eyes. He knew she was about to use that sugary sweet, killer voice she used when she was _getting _what she wanted,no matter what anyone else said.

But Morris laid a hand on her shoulder. "I've got this, Miss." He faced Once-ler. "Did it perhaps occur to you that Cindy Lou Who agrees to this plan?"

The new information threw him off. "Cindy? You mean… she wants to set up a zoo?"

"She wants to help us protect the environment, Mr. Once-ler." He pulled some papers out of his briefcase. "We visited with her yesterday. She signed this contract, granting us her full support."

Once-ler took the contract, and studied the signature at the bottom. It was in a very slanted cursive, with a giant "C" to start her name off. It certainly looked like it could be Cindy's signature. But… a zoo? She agreed to putting the animals away in a zoo?

He leaned back in his chair, considering. He supposed if Cindy was all for it…

His mouth spread into a wide grin. "Gentlemen, you have renewed my interest."

For the next two hours, they discussed contracting, percentage of pay for each company, and so on. Once-ler was actually starting to get excited about the whole prospect. He would partially own a _zoo. _And they didn't plan on only putting the animals from Truffula Valley in it. Creatures from all over the world would be contained in this thing. Eventually, they could make this the biggest zoo anyone's ever imagined. Tourists from all over the world would come see it, which would only increase thneed production.

The plan was quite brilliant, really.

He only wished he'd thought of it.

He was having so much fun planning things out with Morris (and even Jensen grumbled an idea or two) that he lost track of time. He ordered lunch, and the four of them continued to finalize the details of the whole idea. He wished his mom wasn't there, chirping in her opinions, which he would _have _to listen to, but at least she wasn't entirely running the whole thing. In fact, her diminished bossiness was a sign to Once-ler that he was actually doing something right. She was proud of what he was doing, and didn't feel the need to constantly pester him about how _she _wanted it done.

Once-ler finally glanced at the clock. It was almost three. He gave a loud gasp, which stopped Morris in the middle of his sentence.

"I have another appointment!" He rounded on Isabelle. "Mom! You're not doing your _job! _You're supposed to be there when my appointments arrive, and let me know when they're here!"

Isabelle shrugged. "I figured she could wait."

Once-ler groaned. "This is highly unprofessional…"

"We'd better get going anyway, Mr. Once-ler." Morris stood. "We apologize for taking up so much of your time. But before we leave, we need you to sign the contract."

"Yes, yes of course." Once-ler drew out his favorite green pen, and signed the bottom of the paper with a flourish. "Well, gentlemen," he said, pushing the paper back at them. He stood and grasped Morris's hand. "It was a pleasure doing business with you."

"And you, Mr. Once-ler sir." Morris's grin was contagious. He rather liked the man. Together, they would make a fortune.

Isabelle led them out, promising to return with Cindy. Her appointment was an hour late, Once-ler realized. He would have to make it up to her somehow.

But when Isabelle returned to his office, she returned alone.


	11. Pros and Cons

**Eleven! Enjoy!**

* * *

_Music: "Stomping the Roses" by David Archuleta (I feel like this one perfectly portrays Oncie's attitude towards Cindy in this chapter, even if it isn't written in his point of view); "Conan Cab" from the Secret Life of Walter Mitty soundtrack (ANYONE ELSE AS OBSESSED WITH IT AS I AM?) for dear Cindy._

**Chapter Eleven**

**Pros and Cons**

"_All alone!_

_Whether you like it or not,_

_Alone is something you'll be quite a lot!"_

-Dr. Seuss

Once her wait lasted half an hour, she considered leaving. Once it reached 45 minutes, she did.

He must have forgotten about her, and his mom was nowhere to be seen at the desk. The wait had grown awkward, and somehow she felt as if someone were laughing at her, even though no one was around.

So back to the apartment she went.

It was hard to fight down the disappointment she felt. She had so much to talk to him about, and time was growing short, what with production doubling with the extra workers.

She considered going to the Truffula Valley to draw, but decided against it. She needed some time away from the Lorax. She was still a little upset with him for suggesting using Once-ler for their benefit.

In the end she made lunch and curled up on the couch to read a book, shutting out the emotions bringing her down.

She hadn't gotten very far into it when there was a knock on the door. She sighed, and put her book to the side.

When she opened the door, she almost smiled, but remembered that she was supposed to be mad at him. "Oh. Hey."

He was in his gray hoodie again, and he smiled sheepishly at her. "Cindy, I am _so _sorry…" He peeked behind her. "Can I come in?"

She stepped aside, and he pulled his hood down once he was through the door. Cindy couldn't help but smile a little. "How's that internal cooling system coming?"

"Heh. Well." He pulled the hoodie off, revealing a white shirt underneath. "It's got a long way to go."

Cindy nodded. Once-ler clutched the hoodie in his hands, his mouth quirked in an apologetic smile. "Look… I'm really sorry I missed your appointment. I just got carried away with working with the POBLO guys and-"

"Wait." Cindy took the hoodie from him and draped it over the couch's arm. "They got to you already?"

"Yeah." He grinned at her. "We've got so many plans, Cindy… Greenville will be the number one attraction site!"

An alarm bell sounded in her mind. "Attraction site?" she repeated.

He nodded vigorously. "Oh, and we're not just going to have the animals from Truffula Valley. We're going to have species from all over the world! There'll be so many animals that you'd never be able to see them all in one day! So I was thinking we could create a place for people to stay the night so they can just wake up and experience _more _of the place. The profits would be… be… _huge!"_

He had gone into his obsession mode. Arms were flailing in the air, he moved about the room as if it were a stage, and his face was lit up in excitement. But Cindy had no idea what he was talking about.

"Once-ler…"

"Oh, and we could open up restaurants and they'd all be animal-themed. And then there'd be an _adorable _gift shop…"

"Once-ler, wait."

"Oh, and I haven't told you the best part yet!" His grin stretched even farther, if possible. "For a limited time, we could stamp different animals on thneeds, and then they'd be like collectables, and if you collect all fifteen or twenty or whatever then you get a prize!"

"Oncie!"

He froze, hands poised above his head. He blinked at her. Once. Twice. Lowered his hands. The smile diminished, but was still there, if awkwardly. "What did you just call me?"

Cindy felt her face flush. "Sorry. I was just… trying to get your attention."

"Oh." He slumped forward a little, and she knew she had just popped his happy bubble.

"Um." She chuckled awkwardly. "I… have no idea what you're talking about."

His face brightened again. "Sorry, I was going a little too fast. Do you like any of the ideas?" His eyes widened as a thought occurred to him. "Do _you _have any ideas?"

"For _what?"_

He laughed. "The _zoo _of course!"

His laughter died down when he took in the confusion on her face. "You… you really don't know what I'm talking about?"

She shook her head. Something unpleasant was beginning to crawl around in the pit of her stomach.

Now Once-ler looked confused. "But… I thought they told you all about it, came to your apartment and talked with you…"

"Who? POBLO? Yeah. They said they were working to preserve wildlife…" She trailed off. Something was wrong here. Then all the pieces fell into place. Her mouth opened in a silent gasp.

"Once-ler. They want to preserve wildlife by locking it away in a zoo."

He gave an awkward laugh. "Uh… _yeah. _That's what this whole thing is about. Didn't you know that?"

She silently shook her head. She was starting to feel sick. "So… You agreed to partner up to build a… zoo? To lock away the barbaloots and swomee swans and humming fish?" The very thought horrified her. This was going in a very wrong direction.

"Hey now, it's not like they're going to become _imprisoned." _He collapsed on her couch. "It'll be like paradise for them. They'll never go hungry, be well taken care of, and they'll probably _love _all the attention…"

"But they live in paradise _now." _Cindy's throat was becoming constricted. "And they're free. I don't care _how _well you would treat them. They'd still be in bondage. And… and the environment will be destroyed anyway!" Her voice had risen without her intending it to.

Once-ler stared up at her. "Cindy… I don't understand why you're getting so upset. The zoo will be the new paradise. It'll be where the environment and animals are kept safe. Don't you see? This way I don't have to worry about cutting down the trees- there'll be plenty giving people shade at the zoo."

He grinned at the scenario.

Cindy had to turn away. No. No, this wasn't happening. How could everything go so wrong at once?

"…Cindy?" Once-ler's voice was quiet, concerned. "I thought you knew about this. I thought you'd be thrilled at all of my ideas."

She bit her lip, staring hard at the TV in front of her. She heard a rustle as Once-ler stood, and nearly jumped when he put a gentle hand on her shoulder. "Hey."

She squeezed her eyes shut, took a deep breath, and turned to face him. He was close- only about a foot away. If she leaned forward just a bit, she could rest her head on his chest. Maybe he would wrap his arms around her and hold her for a while…

She blinked, feeling her face grow hot. "I'm sorry… But… A zoo's just not the answer."

He looked like a child who just been told that Christmas was cancelled. Then his eyebrows came together in a frown. "Why not?"

"I just… I… I…" And now she was stuttering. What could she tell him? That he couldn't build his zoo just because she was the only one who thought it was a bad idea?

"I get it." He said it lightly, but she could detect ice under his tone. He sniffed, and took a step back.

"Once-ler…. Think about it. Is locking up all those animals just so you can destroy their home the right thing to do?"

"I'm being nice enough to _give _them a home," he nearly snapped. "I wouldn't even charge rent. Not many people get that luxury, Cindy."

She was grasping at straws now, desperate for him to see reason. "Is it your mom? Is she pushing you into this?"

Once-ler looked at her a moment, then barked out a laugh. "You know, the only one pushing me to do something I don't want to this time around is _you._" He cocked his head to the side, studying her. "Maybe you've been taking lessons from her. Is that why you called me 'Oncie?'"

He grasped the door handle, and Cindy watched desperately as he twisted it and pulled the door open.

"One-ler, wait. I'm sorry, okay?"

"You know…" he chuckled, but there was no humor in it. "The original reason I agreed to their offer was because you supported it. You should learn just what you're getting into before you sign a contract, Cindy."

Something boiled inside of her. "They tricked me. They purposely kept that information from me because they knew I wouldn't like it. They're con men, Once-ler."

He turned to face her in the open doorway, arms out stretched on either side of him. The light from outside enveloped him like a halo. "Welcome to my world, Cindy!"

He hopped down the steps. Cindy stuck her head out of the doorway. "I'm telling Lorax about this! He won't like it!"

"Like I care!" he shouted back without turning around.

Cindy bit her lip to keep from screaming at him. She watched him lope away until she couldn't stand the sight of him anymore. Then she slammed the door.

He had left his gray hoodie behind.

* * *

"That's a lot of ice cream."

Cindy ignored Norma's comment and proceeded to stick a large spoonful of triple chocolate caramel praline in her mouth.

Norma sipped at her mint chocolate chip shake. She put it aside, and adjusted her glasses on the bridge of her nose. "Lorax isn't going to like this."

Cindy groaned and ate more ice cream.

"You know, eating when you're depressed is a sure way to go from _walking_ home to _rolling_ home."

Cindy glared at her, but set the large bowl of ice cream aside. She sighed, setting her head in her hand. "What should I do?"

Norma shrugged, and took another sip of her shake. "Apologize I guess. Try to be his friend again. And then…." She leaned forward, dropping her voice. "Go in for the kill."

"Norma!"

Norma laughed. "I'm teasing you. I know you don't think that way."

"I just… I can see why he's angry. I certainly would be. But he just can't _see _that building a zoo… just isn't the answer to his problems."

"Maybe you could try striking a deal with him. Say that you're perfectly fine with a zoo-"

"But I'm _not-"_

"-But that the environmental issue still isn't resolved." Norma shrugged. "Treat it like a business thing."

"Still won't change the fact that he's mad at me."

"Maybe he just needs to cool off." Norma grinned mischievously. "He might start missing you."

Cindy slapped Norma's hand lightly, then sat back, watching all the people walk about to their various destinations. They were so clueless. They had no idea that while they were all living peaceful, happy lives, the world outside the city was being destroyed. Eventually, the city itself would be polluted. How could they not see that?

Cindy massaged her temples.

"Brainfreeze?"

She shook her head. "Migraine. I think… I think I'll probably try to set up an appointment with him. Apologize, try to compromise with him. I don't know. I'll think of something."

Norma watched her carefully, then sipped her shake dry. "You need to take a break, Cindy. Seriously. You've got school to stress out over. Let that be all for now."

Cindy nodded, staring hard at the table.

She'd go home, read a book, draw. Eat more ice cream. And the next morning, she would make an appointment to see the Once-ler.

* * *

Apparently, he wasn't taking any calls from her. Every time she tried to set up an appointment, she was notified that the Once-ler would not be seeing her that day. Or the next day. Or the next. Two weeks later, she gave up trying.

The entire time, she held off telling the Lorax. She knew he would react badly to the news, and she couldn't handle that at the moment. She knew he would blame her, then push her to fix it, even though she had tried.

She was about ready to give up. And this thought depressed her.

The gray hoodie Once-ler had left behind had been stuffed under her bed. She had been so mad at him that she didn't even want to see it. But one night, she finally admitted that she missed him. Terribly. She fished it out from under the bed, and held it against her as she lay back down. She clutched it tight to her chest, breathing in its scent. She smiled to herself. This thing had always been much too large on him.

The door opened, and Cindy stuffed the hoodie under her pillow just as Hannah came in.

"Hey."

"Hey. Just grabbing some lip gloss."

Cindy nodded and watched as Hannah rummaged around her many makeup bags for the lip gloss. She was dressed up in a short skirt and tight tank top-like shirt. A triumphant "Ah-ha!" let Cindy know she had found what she was looking for. She sat in front of the mirror, applying it generously to her lips.

"Hey Cindy…"

"Yeah?"

Hannah smacked her lips together, then turned to face her. "Are you okay? You've kind of just been moping around lately. And I haven't seen you go out as much as you used to."

Cindy shrugged. "I'm just tired I guess."

"I see." Hannah watched her, pressing her gleaming lips together. "Tell ya what. I'm going out to a party. You wanna come?"

Hannah had invited her to parties earlier in the semester, but Cindy had refused. She wasn't really much of a party animal.

She started making a face, but Hannah pressed. "Come on. You've been cooped up in this rat hole for weeks. Time to get out and socialize! Meet some new people. It'll be fun." She grinned at her.

"Well…" She supposed it beat laying around in bed drowning in her sorrows. She sighed, then sat up with a smile. "Count me in."

It only took a few minutes for Cindy to put on her favorite white skirt and purple top. She even applied a little more makeup than usual. Hannah insisted on straightening her normally wavy hair, so in another fifteen minutes Cindy was feeling very pampered and dressed up. Despite her gloomy mood, she was getting excited about this venture.

As they were walking out the apartment door, Hannah said, "Oh, and you have to try the punch. House recipe."


End file.
